WIPocalypse November Check-in

I am getting really bad at remembering this!  I actually think I have quite a few finishes this time. 

This is X’s and Oh’s Wine Dragon (white).  I did this for a friend of mine that owns a wine shop.

This is my daughter’s 1st Christmas present.  She picked out a bunch of patterns from the Subversive Cross Stitch book for me to do.

This is my daughter’s Caitlin’s second Christmas present. I am a terrible sewer. This is after I ripped it apart and did it all over.  It just wouldn’t work.  I told her one of her gifts is wonky.

This is my son’s Kenny’s Christmas present. I had started Ink Circles 99 this year for his Christmas present but it is no where close to being done.  So I took several of the bottles and made him coasters to match it when I FINALLY get it done!

This is my husband’s no. 1 Christmas present – framed.

This is my husband’s second Christmas present – finished.

Then I also did some additional framing of 2 things I have had done for a while now.  One of them, several years!

This one is a more recent finish but I got it framed in the same year I finished it!

I have just beads to go on Joan Elliot’s Petite Angel (wreath) that was a SAL on Polstitches Fabric Facebook page.  So I will even have a finish for the final update of the year!

Everyone have a wonderful week!

Chele

 

 

QS Siberian Forest Progress

I was away this past weekend – the 5th through the 7th at a stitching get together with one of my groups on Facebook.  I worked on nothing but QS Siberian Forest!
Here is where I started:

Here is where I ended on Friday night – I sent a picture to my husband so I have one!

Here is where I ended at the end of the weekend Sunday afternoon!

Now I just have to figure out how to get two of these pictures from here to the HAED SAL BB.  With Webshots I knew how but now with this I don’t have a clue!!

Both Multiply and Webshots going away in December – not good!  That is where all my pictures are stored!

Chele

WIPocalypse 2012 – August 31st – QS Siberian Forest progress

I have stitched all day yesterday and all day today!  For the amount of time versus progress – it is kind of depressing but he is so gorgeous!  The first 10 X 10 square I did today had 40 different colors in it.  Even with parking it took FOREVER!  LOL!

Here is where I started yesterday:

And here is where I ended this evening.  I was going to switch to Christmas stitching tomorrow since Scott leaves for filming his buddies bear hunting. He will be gone through the weekend.  But now, I sort of want to finish these last two 10 X 10 squares so I can see the whole eye!!

We will see how I feel after work tomorrow!

Siberian Forest – after parking

Wow, I got to stitch for several hours today! I am beginning to see with my work schedule I am going to be lucky to see 2 hours of stitching all week.  But today was a good day, my MIL visited but only stayed a few minutes so I got to keep stitching!

Ok first picture is where I started –

Second picture is where I ended on the 19th!

I am loving this parking stuff now that I have the hang of it!  Probably won’t stitch again until next weekend!  Boo!

Chele

Figuring it out!

Hi all,

After a huge week at work, with 4-  ten plus hour days, I managed to wake up sick yesterday.  I managed to do all 6 of my stores but it was no fun.

So today, after seeing Julie’s blog, I figured out how to add some stuff to the page.  Have a word processing degree from the 80’s does NOT help you figure this stuff out – let me tell you!!  I still have to move all my photo albums over from Multiply. Just not real sure how.  I have a ton of pics over there and am terrified that if I create a new page for each album (not sure how to add multiply pics at once to a page yet), that I will use up all my space!  Ugh!  That is just too hard to think about when you have fog brain!

I am off to try to teach myself parking.  I only managed 2 stitches yesterday before Scott came home so not enough to see whether I detest it or if I can handle all those threads hanging or not!  Will be working on HAED 2012 Freebie SAL QS Siberian Forest.  In between stitches, I also have to do laundry.

 

 

Everyone have a great day!

Chele

 

Finally starting this thing! – copied from multiply

Finally starting this thing!

Jun 11, ’06 4:07 PM for everyone

Good afternoon,

I have had this site for about a month now and decided today to finally pay attention to it. Probably won’t be real regular about updates but then I am not real regular about much!

Stitching is non existent! I thought today I would get back to my tractor project but since I haven’t been on the computer in DAYS again, I am 900 behind. So I think I need to take a few hours and purge all of that into the delete folder. I also need to find some time to do the griding for the Alphabet series by Thea. I finally got the fabric after weeks of waiting and haven’t touched it since I measured it. I also need to finish a baby quilt and possibly start another one.

On the weight loss front, I have been way too tired, sore and stressed to even be able to make myself get up in the mornings or do any type of exercise. This conversion to CVS is not going smoothly and everyone is going crazy. Since I deal with change and stress not at all, my exercising is the thing losing out while I sleep. My answer to high stress is sleep. So I haven’t been getting up at 3:30 a.m. the last two Weds. or 4:30 a.m. the last two Thursdays. I must be doing pretty good in the food department because I have only gained back 1.8 pounds of the 9.2 pounds I have lost so far. I NEED to go to bed on time today so I can get up tomorrow and do my Shape Shoppe workout and do my tapes and treadmill before I have gained back a whole lot more of that lost weight! I also need to IGNORE the donuts and sugar cookies the managers leave on the break room table for us to eat no matter how STRESSED I am that day at work. But it is so hard to ignore free comfort food when it is staring you in the face for 30 minutes while you eat your healthy lunch! Especially when you are sitting there to the point of crying from the stress of the day. Oh well, I am just going to have to do better than I am now. What is sad? Even when I do take one of the cookies or donuts in the last two weeks, it has only been one instead of the usual 3 or 4 of each. So in my head I can rationalize that as being good since I stopped at only one! SAD SAD SAD!!!

Oh well e-mail is calling me! I better get back to it.

Michele A. in Racine, WI

 

 

 

9 Comments

heypaula wrote on Jun 12, ’06 Michele, I’m not great at regular updates to my blog, either! It sounds like you’re going through a tough time at work – but don’t be too hard on yourself. Honestly, just the fact that you DO have only 1 donut or cookie is better than your old habits. I’m sure you’ll get yourself back into your routine soon.

claireej wrote on Jun 13, ’06 Chele Sweetie… I know you are doing great on your diet! I just know it from what I’ve read previously. You have such a great attitude which is so important! Great going girl!! Big hugs always.

gothtigger wrote on Jun 13, ’06 Hey Michele, A wise person once told me “Don’t let the best be the enemy of the good” Basically it means that doing anything even imperfectly is better than doing nothing. Son what if I didn’t have 30 mins free to do a proper workout this morning – I did 10 minutes. I would have preferred a proper workout, but hey 10 mins is better than not doing anything! And you’ll get back to the tractor when the time is right. You it will still be there waiting for you – it wont run away 🙂 Many many hugs! Mel.

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 17, ’06 Good Morning Paula, I just got to my e-mail from the 12th telling me you had replied to this and found a bunch of them! This week I have done awesome! I had one bad day at work on Thursday where I actually ate an entire candy bar. It was either that or cry! Yes it was that bad at work that day. I did count the candy in my tracker. If it goes in my mouth, it goes in the tracker no matter how bad the numbers look at the end of the day!! VBG! Today was day number 6 of straight workouts. I don’t think I have managed to pull that off in a month now. Usually I can get 4 non consecutive days in the week but I usually skip an extra day off. So tomorrow I can sleep in!!!! Yesterday I broke a nail and got two small rope burns trying to start the lawn mower. Scott showed me how to do it about 2 years ago and I have never bothered. I let the dog outside after my 60 minutes workout on the treadmill and noticed the grass was really long. I figured I was already hot and sweaty so what the heck. Another 60 minutes later, the huge back yard and the front yard were done. Next time I get a brain storm that includes mechanical machines, someone shoot me! Well I have a couple hours before I need to get ready for work. I want to see how many of the 1062 e-mails I can read/delete! Michele A.

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 17, ’06 Hi Claire, This week has been really great! 6 days of straight exercise. All 7 days within my calorie range and all 7 days with 8 glasses of water. I am glad I get tomorrow off from the exercising though. Sleep looks good! I did miss one entire week 2 weeks ago with NO exercise at all the whole week. I had done a new exercise video by Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds 5 Miles. I did a section of it that is 3 miles – 1 – 12 minute mile, 1 – 10 minutes mile with jogging and 1 – 15 minute mile with hand weights. I don’t think my Cerebral Palsy right leg likes jogging. My thigh muscle cramped up for days after I did that tape. Even when it finally let loose, I was afraid to exercise. BAD me! Oh well. Onward! Luv and Hugs, Michele

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 17, ’06 Good Morning Mel, You are so right! I really, really need to remember that too! Because usually, if you can get yourself moving for the 1st 10 minutes, you do more. I didn’t want to exercise at all yesterday, to be truthful. I made myself get up and let the dog out. While she was out, I talked myself into doing the treadmill. It is the no pain (thigh muscle still not right yet) part of my workout. So I started with my new CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3 player on my head. I had downloaded a bunch of fast paced music that I love and made a CD for my workouts. Before I even realized it, I had done 60 minutes. The longest I have ever done before was 45. Then, of course, I wound up mowing the lawns too. So not bad for not wanting to do ANY exercise yesterday. Michele A.

heypaula wrote on Jun 21, ’06 Great job, Michele! And you’re right about the beginning.. I’ve adopted a “trick” from Fly-Lady. I keep telling myself “I can do anything for 15 minutes”, and then usually before I realize it, it’s more than 15 mintues and it’s not so bad :). (Works for exercising motivation just like cleaning motivation for me lol)

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 24, ’06 Hi Paula, I didn’t know you did FlyLady too! I love her ideas and wish I could implement more of them but right now I would rather exercise than clean. VBG! My house is never bad but it could always use some more work in any given room! Michele

heypaula wrote on Jun 24, ’06 I wish I could say that I’ve adopted more fly lady habits, but this one has helped enormously! In my next life I’ll be a better housekeeper – honest! LOL

Good Day so far – copied from multiply

Jun 12, ’06 12:53 PM for everyone

Good Afternoon,

I have done some playing with the site and added some more pictures. I actually made it up this morning and got in an hour of exercise. 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes with the stability ball. Scott came home in the middle of my workout so he saw me exercising!!! That was a good thing since I have been so bad these last few weeks!

I have to work tonight until 11 p.m. but am off tomorrow again! I love this new schedule! I hope it stays that way after my bosses meeting on the 15th! I am suppose to have a week of vacation starting the 19th and I sure hope that doesn’t fall through.

Well better get my lunch made and my dinner for work packed up.

Everyone have a great day!
Michele A.

 

 

 

8 Comments

ecostitcher wrote on Jun 14, ’06 Are you enjoying the working out? The only way I could like it is if it was in a swimming pool. 🙂

claireej wrote on Jun 14, ’06 I am utterly clueless with those stability balls….good as a foot rest, but nothing else!

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 14, ’06 Hi Claire, They are actually very very good for you. Even if you just sit on them, instead of using a chair. You need to use your core muscles and thigh muscles to keep yourself balanced on the ball. So instead of slouching in a chair, no muscles, you are doing active sitting and using muscle. Using muscle helps burn calories. I am loving the ball so far! It is only 30 minutes but it is a good workout for the entire core and back. Plus she throws in some weight lifting at the end for strength training. Luv and Hugs, Michele A.

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 14, ’06 Hi Gina, I love working out once I get up and get moving. This morning I was up at 3:30 a.m. and did 2 hours worth of stuff. A Walking Away the Pounds DVD – 3 miles. One 10 minute mile, one 12 minute mile with a little jogging thrown in, and then a regular 15 minute mile but with hand weights for strength training. After that I did the stability ball DVD again and then 30 minutes on the treadmill. I only have to get up today and tomorrow (4:30 a.m.) at ungodly hours to exercise since the rest of the week I am off or work nights. Luv and Hugs, Michele A.

claireej wrote on Jun 15, ’06 OMG, I am tired reading that. Chele, you’re doing great.

heypaula wrote on Jun 15, ’06 Ah – a woman with much more motivation than I have! There’s just no way I’d be able to get up at that time of the day and do anything more strenuous than pour a cup of coffee! You’re doing great, Michele!

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 17, ’06 Thanks Claire, Two weeks ago was really bad. I pulled a muscle and didn’t do a thing for the entire week. I gained 1.8 pounds that week. I am determined that I don’t see the numbers going up again for a good long while!! I really rely on my Sparkpeople boards to help me stay motivated. I read what they do everyday and it helps me keep going. Luv and Hugs, Michele

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 17, ’06 Thanks Paula. On those two days, I am pretty much on auto pilot until I get moving. I also must go to bed at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. consecutively or I don’t get up. It is just too early if your up late. I really wish I ‘did’ coffee or something other than Mountain Dew. Some days I could REALLY use it! I haven’t had any soda since I started April 15th. Oh wait, I had a glass of 7-Up at the wedding and then switched to all water. But still no caffeine. Well have to go to work in a bit so better finish up with this computer stuff! Luv and Hugs, Michele

A great week – copied from Multiply

Jun 17, ’06 9:10 AM for everyone

Well I have had a terrible week at work but a great week on the life style change front!I made it 6 days straight exercising, stayed within my calorie range, and did 8 glasses of water everyday. Thursday I even had a full sized candy bar. The workday was to the point of me crying in a corner. I did track it in my tracker. If it goes in my mouth it goes in the tracker!

I am way behind on e-mails. I am currently reading the 12th and have over 1000 more to go! But I get to go on vacation starting Monday so I just might get caught up eventually! Maybe even get to do some stitching! LOL!

I work tonight and tomorrow night. I hope things have calmed down some at work. I really needed yesterday off!

Well off to conquer that e-mail. If anyone has replied to a post or picture that I haven’t seen yet, I will get to the e-mail telling me about it eventually!

Michele A.

1 Comment

heypaula wrote on Jun 21, ’06 I know how you feel! I’m woefully behind on email right now, too. I’m getting through it slowly.. my biggest problem is that there are just not enough hours in the day for everything I want to do plus everything I need to do!

Back from vacation – copied from multiply

Jun 24, ’06 6:31 PM for everyone

Hello everyone,

I am back home and catching up on e-mail (1600) and laundry! I got a lot of walking in on vacation. I also climbed what felt like a MOUNTAIN! Brady’s Bluff trail in Perrot State Park in Trempeleau! It took over an hour to reach the top of that trail! We did that Thursday afternoon and my calves are still screaming! I think I did well food wise. I mostly ate walnut burgers – no meat! Tomorrow is weigh in day so we will see. I don’t think it will be good since I deviated so badly from my normal eating, drinking and exercise schedule. If not, Monday is the next day and we have a whole new day to start over with!

I will see if I can add the vacation photos to my the site when I get in the house and have a stronger signal. It won’t let me upload this far away from the other computer. I am in the garage.

It was great to see my brother Clyde, my niece Raven and his girlfriend Terri. We only see each other once a year when Scott and I bike up to the LaCrosse/Onalaska area to visit him. We loved the Trempeleau area and will go back there again next year!

Got a bunch of STASH too at The Witchery Stitchery in Mount Horeb!

Mirabilia: White Christmas
Just Nan: Mermaid Heart with accessory pack
Waxing Moon Designs: The Most Patterns #105 says She Who Dies with the most patterns is not stitching fast enough!
Kustom Crafts: A Kiss From Mommy – Mommy and baby Unicorn
Just Nan: Spring In the Square with Vision charm
Just Nan: Winter In The Square with Vision charm
Some of the needed stuff for White Christmas : #4 very fine kreinik 032, Mill Hill Antique beads 03033, Mill HIll Frosted beads 60161, Mill Hill beads 0201, 02010, and 00968. Didn’t get them all or any of the treasures needed but figure I can order them later.

Everyone have a great evening!

Michele A.

 

 

6 Comments

heypaula wrote on Jun 24, ’06 Glad you had a good trip – and great stash!!

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 24, ’06 Thanks Paula! It is so fun to go into a shop that actually carries the new stuff so you can SEE it. My one local shop is doing special orders only now so she isn’t stuck with several of each pattern. The other shop is more into primitive, needle punch, knitting and quilting. They stopped even getting in Shepherd’s Bush patterns! So the internet or Witchery Stitchery once a year is how I shop now! Michele

claireej wrote on Jun 25, ’06 Good stashing, great sounding trip, and the CLIMB! If your calves still hurt, I reckon you will have lost weight this week. Well done you:)

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 25, ’06 Hi Claire, Unfortunately, the different food, the less amount of exercise and not enough water during the day did do me in. I gained 3 pounds! Thank Heavens tomorrow is Monday and I can get back onto the treadmill. My left calf is still a little achy today. I suspect it is because I use my left ‘good’ leg over using my right ‘weak Cerebral Palsy’ leg way too much. But it should feel fine by tomorrow morning when it is exercise time! And too dern bad if it ain’t! I am getting onto that treadmill!!! VBG! Have a great day. Michele

heypaula wrote on Jun 25, ’06 And I bet oncce you get back to drinking all of the water you usually do, most of those 3 pounds will wash themselves right out!

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 25, ’06 Hi Paula, I sure hope so! Just finish bottle number 3 or 6 glasses of water! Off to get bottle number 4! Spent the last hour or two, not sure when I started, putting in the long basting line for Thea’s Alphabets on one big piece of fabric. Almost made it to the end when I ran out of thread. I will finish that line and start the shorter center basting line on Tuesday. Then I get to start counting, counting and counting again out to the sides, top and bottom to put in those lines. I may actually get to start stitching in the A sampler before the turn of the century!!! VBG! Michele

More Progress – copied from multiply

More Progress!

Jun 27, ’06 3:30 PM for everyone

Hi

Well Tammy was finally at the Shape Shoppe this morning so I got weighed and measured. On her scale I didn’t lose any weight from last month. Could be because I gained it all back this last week . . . BUT I did lose another 1 1/2 inches in my waist. I lost 1 inch from my right thigh. I lost 1/4 inch from each of my arms. I lost 1.3 of Body Fat and 1 1/2 of Fat Mass. So although the weight stayed the same, I am still getting someplace!! Yeah!!!

Caitlin is on her way down from Southridge. She suddenly called me yesterday afternoon after not hearing from her for 8 weeks! Then she shows up at work for an hour while I pretty much had to ignore her. Hello I am working!!! Oh well. Then she was suppose to be here by 1:30 today and made it at like 2:40 instead. She had to leave after 20 minutes because she has training for her new job at Rum Pointe Restaurant down by the Lake at 4 p.m.

She had taken her husband back after she broke up with the last boyfriend. Basically she needed to use his car to get back and forth to work. But supposedly he had changed blah blah blah. Well he is the reason she didn’t come down for Mother’s Day. They were at his Mom’s. He won’t let her call me or come down. She finally put her foot down now that she has a boyfriend on the side again. Once the boyfriend and her hammer out the relationship details, she will kick Josh out of her apartment. Josh is obsessive enough that he will just wait out this latest boy friend and then put the screws to Caitlin again to control her every move. But does she see this, now yes, later no! We will see MAYBE just maybe she finally sees him the way her Dad and I see him. But probably not!

Well Scott should be home in about 20 minutes so I want to plan a shopping list and switch the laundry around.

Have a great day everyone!

Michele

4 Comments

heypaula wrote on Jun 27, ’06 Congrats on the losses! Remember that muscle mass weighs more, so the fact that you’re exercising so regularly is still a very good thing! Sorry to hear that things are still difficult with Caitlin.. I’m hoping that it all works out for the best sooner rather than later!

xsfav14 wrote on Jun 27, ’06 Hi Paula, I was really excited about the lost inches. I knew what the scale would say more or less since I weigh in weekly. MY scale here at home was down 1 pound this morning so I am losing what I gained! Yippee! I am not stressing about it though. I had fun and if that means weight gain so be it! I got up this morning and went to Shape Shoppe, obviously and then came home and did 45 minutes on the treadmill. I thought about doing my 3 mile walking tape but opted for a shower instead! Tomorrow is my 3 a.m. day so I need to get to bed in like an hour! Otherwise, it is impossible to get up then! Have a great evening! Michele

gothtigger wrote on Jun 30, ’06 Congrats on the body measurements !!!! Such a happy feeling isn;t it – when you suddenly find wriggle room in previously tight clothes !!!!!!! And good luck with Caitlin! Don’t know that story, but I’ve known people similar. Good luck!

xsfav14 wrote on Jul 1, ’06 Hi Mel, Thanks! I wish I had wiggle room in tight clothes. I guess I do a little bit but for the most part the clothes are just now more comfy since I was wearing them too small. I have another month or more, at the rate I am losing actual weight, before I can go down to a 14. And Caitlin is a long and stressful story! She married a stalker and he basically doesn’t let her do anything without him texting her every 30 seconds. Where are you? You are you with? When are you coming home? He opens her cell bill and calls every number to make sure it isn’t a guy. He erases guys numbers out of her phone. He is just a weird person. She isn’t allowed to call or visit me because we, her parents or anyone else for that matter, can’t love her like he does. And the reason she stays with him for now, he has a car and she needs one to get to work. Instead of saving her money for a car and keeping it with a friend (he takes her money out of her purse too), she gets new tattoos, her nails done every week, tanning 2 or 3 times a week, new clothes, new shoes (3 different pair of the same shoe cus there cute), etc. This guy has hurt her twice already that I know of but even I am getting tired of hearing how he controls her when she won’t get serious about getting herself a car! I hate kids most days and now you know why. And this is the condensed version!!! LOL! Michele