Shoes?

I have a question for all of you stitchy stitchers out there :-)

Does anyone know of any free patterns for shoes? I'm looking to make a greeting card with a stiletto shoe on the front. Thanks!!

The Liebster Award!

Good morning everyone!!

My friend Lizy over at http://lizylovelystitches.blogspot.ca awarded me with the Liebster award! Thanks Lizy! If you aren't following Lizy's blog, you should head over and check it out. She stitches some amazing pieces that look so real they could be photographs!

Details of the award:

Liebster is German word, meaning favorite, dearest or beloved. The Liebster is awarded by bloggers to other, newer bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers to spread the word and help the newer gain wider recognition. The award comes with four conditions that each recipient must satisfy where accepting. 1. Chose five up and coming blogs fewer than 200 followers to award the Liebster too. 2.Show thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them. 3.Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award too with links to their sites. leave comments on their blog so they know about the award. 4.Share five random facts about yourself that people don't know.                                

I'm going to cheat a little bit and break the rules. For now, I'm just going to share my 5 random facts....I'll go through my list and find some blogs to award this with a little later....because I'm lazy and haven't finished my first coffee of the day yet :-P

1. I'm an Arizona enthusiast- Erin and I went there on vacation a few years ago and I've been obsessed and fascinated with the state ever since.

2. I collect thimbles from all over the world- anywhere I go, or my friends go, a thimble comes back for me.

3. My life revolves around my 4 month old Shiloh Shepherd Finnigan. He's my bestest little buddy, and my handsome boy. I'm way too obsessed with him.

4. I SUCK at all forms of art. It's amazing that I can do needlecrafts because I can't handle any other form of crafting. LOL don't even get me started on scrapbooking- it once gave me an anxiety attack haha!

5. I live for reading, stitching, gardening, and going to the gym- these are my passions in life.

                                                                                                             

I Won!!!

I'm really late posting this, but...I won a giveaway from Shelley's blog
http://shelleysartsyfartsylife.blogspot.ca

I won these great little pattern books...

I see lots of projects in these books that I'd like to get going on....THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH SHELLEY!!!!!!

A Couple of Lisa's Finishes

Happy Sunday everyone!

I've had a great day....gym, dog park, a visit from Lisa, Holly and Cait....baked zucchini bread...very nice way to spend a snowy Sunday!

Lisa brought a couple of finishes to show me...and you guys :-) Here they are! The Wizard was a printed pattern, and the second one is absolutely gorgeous, and my picture does it no justice at all.

What, Oh What to Blog About?!

This is my dilemma of late. There hasn't been much stitching happening (but there will be on Sunday because I'm going to my parents for the night woohoo!) and there haven't been any significant life events to talk about. So I've just avoided blogging altogether.

So...hmm. Well, Finnigan and I discovered a local dog park. We now spend 2 hours there every afternoon. He plays with his friends and I've been cordially invited to join the "grey chair group"...a group of 3 people who are there at the same time every day. I couldn't be more thrilled hahaha! So I have people to chat with while Finn plays. The best part is that he comes home exhausted and sleeps for hours afterwards.

What else. Well, the Hunger Games comes out tonight at midnight here. Erin came from London to see it with me. It'll be a short visit, she has to leave tomorrow night. I work at 5 tomorrow morning so we aren't going to the midnight show...we're doing tomorrow afternoon.

It's been super-warm here the last few days....25 degrees!!!!! But it's starting to drop and will be back down to 4 by Monday. I did manage to fall asleep in my zero gravity chair reading and got a sunburn. Then I bought sunscreen....and it's rained ever since.

I made cookies this morning. They're insanely healthy and actually turned out really well! Here's the link to where I found them

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nikkis-healthy-cookies-recipe.html

The store I work in is taking part in setting a world record tomorrow....I think they're calling it "history in the breaking" and it involves the most people ever to simultaneously break a piece of parmigano reggiano cheese. It's rumored that each piece of cheese involved in the breaking cost $1500. I don't know....seems like the money could have been better spent paying employees more than minimum wage (wink-wink, nudge-nudge Loblaws Co.)

I guess I should show you some pictures of my handsome buddy Finn! OMG I'm such a pathetic proud Mama!

My beautiful boy at 4 months

This is what he does every day when I dry my hair....what a hoot!

On top of the world, playing with his friends at the park

Finn sleeping with his Doggie

March WIPocalypse and The Alligator

Whoa....lots of you guys have WIPocalypse finishes this month!

I've been working on The Bookshelf and Too Windy....

 

I'm really, really loving working on both of these pieces. Unfortunately, both have suffered some puncture wounds.

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:

The Culprit:

What a Nut!

This is what happens when I fall asleep on the couch. I woke up and couldn't find Finn anywhere. I searched high and low. I finally found him....hiding in the bathroom eating a sweet potato that he stole. Good grief!!

Lisa's Stitching, and a Finn Update!

Good Sunday morning to you all!

I made a page called "Lisa's Stitching" that you can find alongside my other pages. My friend Lisa stitches some amazing pieces, but she doesn't have a blog. I took pictures of them a few weeks ago to post here....someone should see these amazing finishes! Sorry that the pictures suck...it was dark out and I was impatient LOL!

So Finn is 12 weeks old today!!! He makes me SO happy, I love this puppy. I can't believe I've only had him for a month...it feels MUCH longer! He drives me nuts biting and whining and stealing everything in sight, but we're working on it :-) Here are some pics!

My Mud Dog

Snowy Puppy!!

Finn at 12 weeks!



Oh, Jax, How I Love You!

So. Who's heard of Sons of Anarchy? It's a show about a biker gang in California called Sam Cro.... (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original).

I started to have a pretty annoying cough a month ago after an 18k run in -15 degree weather. I thought it was a cold, but it's just kept getting worse. Since Monday I haven't slept for more than 2 hours a night because the cough is constant. Then...yesterday...I got to work, coughed, felt a pop and then stabbing pain under my ribcage. I could hardly stand up, breathe, sit down, and coughing was unbearable. I was lucky enough to get an appoitment at the day clinic yesterday afternoon and long story short, I'm now on antibiotics for a bacterial lung infection, an inhaler because my lungs won't stop spasoming, and a pain killer because I tore the muscle under my ribs. Holy....friggin....PAIN that torn muscle is causing!

So I have nothing to do but lay on the couch and watch Sons! Woohoo! Watching Jax strut around in all of this sexyness is making me feel sooooo much better. It's strange that I love this show I suppose....but I do have a soft spot for bikers. My parents were park of the biker gang world for the 10 years before I was born and most of their friends now are bikers and retired bikers. Maybe it makes me feel at home or something. If only a real life Jax would come my way LOL! And Katey Segal plays the badass wife of the club leader and is Jax's mom....which is hilarious, I'm totally loving seeing her as a total badass bitch. Not used to that!

A Tasty Treat Fakeout!

Good morning everyone! Thought I'd share a recipe for a super-sweet treat that is all-natural and insanely healthy.

Chop up 2 big handfuls of pitted dates. Throw them in the blender with the juice of 2 lemons. Add a splash of water to get things moving and blend until smooth-ish....chunks are okay. Scoop out golf ball sized portions, roll them around in unsweetened coconut and let set in the fridge. Enjoy!

February WIPocalypse!

Hey everyone!!

I've only been working on The Bookshelf this past month, and I'm determined to get it done! Here it is before....

...and this is it as of last night!

One of my friends from running and I started getting together to stitch. It's made a huge difference because it forces me to actually take the time to sit down and work on something, which is awesome. Her name is Lisa and she does a lot of amazing stitching. I'm going to make her a page at the top of my blog this weekend with pictures of all of her finishes....make sure to check it out!

She and her Mom made me this Q-Snap cozy....it's super cute!

Cake Baby!!

Check out this masterpiece...yep, it's a CAKE!!!!

Fridays with Finn!

I cannot believe how fast this puppy is growing!!!!!

Finn, 8.5 weeks old

We've spent our week hanging out, and learning not to bite. I look like a drug addict with tracks up both my arms because of this puppy's sharp teeth! He has a few gaps still so I think he's teething pretty bad.

I took him for a walk around the block yesterday and he did GREAT for half the block then he sat down and started to shake so bad! I don't know if he was cold or scared but I had to carry him the rest of the way LOL!

Stitching and snowstorm today....it's the perfect kind of day :-)

My First Day as a Mama!!

Well, it finally happened, I picked up my puppy Finn yesterday! I'm not sure what I think quite yet. I LOVE him, he's perfect...but holy crap it's a lot of work!

I got off pretty lucky because I was assigned the most laid-back of all the puppies. He slept for the whole 2 hour ride home...

...and then slept some more when we got home...

...then he posed for a "welcome home" picture

And then he played with Holly and Cait for a while...

Annnnnnnd back to sleep!









I think my second thoughts stem from the fact that, as a Shiloh Shepherd, he'll weigh between 120 and 130 pounds when he's full grown, which means I have to, without question, have him trained properly to listen to me. Having an out of control dog who weighs more than you do is a bad, bad idea. All of the training techniques I studied seemed so easy in theory but now that he's actually here, there's nothing easy about it! YEEK!

Stash Enhancement in London!

One of my favourite things to do when I visit Erin in London is to go to the Thread and Eye cross-stitch shop. It's fantastic, and has such a huge variety of stuff. I only get to London twice a year, so it's always quite an event! This time around though, things didn't quite go as planned.

I was only supposed to stay in London until Monday, but when we got to the shop Monday morning we discovered that they're closed Sundays and Mondays. We were so disappointed....but I decided to switch work stuff around at home and stay until today so that we could visit the shop....and it was sooooo worth it!! Here's what I got...

Erin got a handfull of patterns too, but I didn't get a picture. I had to drop her off at school and start my trip back home as soon as we were finished. If you're ever in London, make sure you visit this shop!! The woman who was working was so friendly and helpful. In fact, when we left, Erin said "wow, I can't believe how much I just learned in such a short period of time." They're awesome in there!

Other trip highlights include.....

-me driving on the 401 all the way from Peterborough to London, right through Toronto...this is a first time for that, I usually go a different way to avoid the highway because I'm terrified of it...but I did it! Twice, and LIVED! It even cut my trip from 6 hours down to 3.5!

-our delicious pizza making...

Erin and the best pizza ever!

-watching the final episode of our favourite show, One Life to Live together (which was soooo awful, and ended with a major cliffhanger that's going to drive me crazy for the rest of my life!)

and......

-the ill-fated hike, which I feel no need to re-hash LOL!

Two Blondes and a Blue Trail

*hum the Gilligan's Island tune as you proceed*

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful hike.....
That started on this blue-marked trail,
Watching birds that we did like.

The mate was a mighty travelling girl,
The skipper runs, knits and purls...

Together they set out at four o'clock,

For a one hour walk.

The weather started getting cold,
Our thighs felt bitten by frost....

We saw a cabin that looked quite old,

And realized we were lost.

The forest started getting dark,

The snow was really deep....

We looked for the trail that was once marked,

Our courage we did not keep.

We emerged into an open space,

No footprints could be seen...

The sun was moving from it's place,

Into the dark we would have been.



But then we saw a yellow thing,
Sticking high out of the snow....
We now had hope from which to cling,
We were in a golf course, we now did know.

We found a fence and a trail beyond,
We approached it, our hope refusing to fail...
And although we're hindered by our hair of blonde,
We found the blue trail....
We found the blue trail.

Meet...FINN!!!!

I'm so excited to introduce my new puppy Finnigan (Finn) to you all!!

Finn is 6 1/2 weeks old....he's a Shiloh Shepherd, and I'm totally in love with him! I've been waiting a LONG time for this puppy!!

I've been waiting a really, really long time for this little guy! It all started a year ago when I was out running with my group and a woman we didn't know joined us, and she had this giant dog that looked like a German Shepherd, but bigger. I was too shy to ask what it was so my friend Todd went over and asked her. She told him it was a Shiloh. I went home and researched the breed, and fell in love instantly.

I grew up with German Shepherds but didn't want one in the city. They have such strong protective instincts that I don't really think it's safe....not for me anyways. Shilohs have the same colouring, look and size but lack the aggression and protectiveness. They're incredibly smart and loyal.

I couldn't have pets in the basement apartment I was living in so I put the idea away in a corner of my mind for later. As soon as I moved into my house I started researching breeders, found one, and was approved for a puppy. Sadly, the mother got an infection a week before the puppies were due and lost them all. So I started back at square one, found another excellent breeder, and.....here's FINN!!!!! I get him in a week and a half :-) SOOOOOO excited!

WIPocalypse Check-In #1!

I've actually made more progress than I had expected in the last coupld of weeks! I've been working on this piece, called "Flower Vignette," for a Love Quilts child who's theme is "flowers"

...and the other WIP I've been working on is this one!

The Bookshelf by LHN is my main focus right now. I really like how it's coming along, and I'd like to frame it and display it in my room o' books LOL!

Sunday.....

8:30am- run 16k in -15c weather....check!

1pm- snowshoe for 2 hours...check!

9:15pm- laying on the couch crippled....check!

Mmmmm Coconut!

My roommate and I went to a nutritionist a few months ago and he encouraged us to eat more fat....imagine that!!! Not Big Mac type fat though, it had to be natural fats, found in foods like coconuts. We started putting coconut milk in our oatmeal (delicious!!) and cooking with coconut oil.

Then yesterday I was reading a magazine and came across a huge article about coconut oil and all of the benefits it has. Coconut oil has something in it called medium-chain fatty acids, which are a unique group of fats that are absorbed into active cells, which are used by your body for energy, growth, and repair.  They neutralize free-radicals (cancer-causing cells), and also reduce inflammation. Cool!

According to the article I read, they can:

-help you lose weight because they prompt your liver cells to burn fat 50% faster than normal

-speed up the production of white blood cells, which fight off infections, therefore preventing colds and flu!

-make your hair soft and shiny (massage 2 tbsp into dry hair and scalp, leave on 30 mins, then shampoo)

-heal irritated skin (dab onto trouble spots twice daily)

-speed up your thyroid glands

-relieve feminine dryness (I'll let you figure this one out LOL)

Anyways, I like to cook with it because it gives things a sweet flavour...I find that it takes the edge off bitter veggies. I also melt it and use it with vinegar and lemon juice as a homemade salad dressing....yummy!

I have stitching updates too! I'll share later :-) Enjoy your weekend!

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

This is my first finished book of 2012...and I read it quite by accident. It's not sitting on my shelves at home waiting to be picked up, it's not on my list of things to eventually read, and it wasn't reccommended by a friend. I went to Chapters yesterday morning after running errands, got a nice warm latte from the Starbucks nestled inside, and settled in for an afternoon of magazine reading. It just so happened that someone left this book sitting on the chair I sat down in, and there weren't many interesting magazines that were calling to me so I picked it up.

If you haven't heard of it, it's the memoir of Amy Chua; the story of how she, a Chinese woman married to a Jewish man, raised her two daughters Sophia and Lulu according to the Chinese principles of parenting that she was raised by. The problem here is that they live in America, where such principles are often viewed as abusive.

For example, Chua once referred to one of her daughters as "garbage" because she didn't play her piece on the piano perfectly, or because she spoke disrespectfully to her. She didn't allow them to attend or have sleepovers, play sports, get any grade lower than an A, and forced them to practice the piano and violin for hours and hours every single day, even when they were sick or on vacation. She would say terrible things to them, about how they were disgraceful, lazy and pathetic in order to get them to do what she wanted.

She claims that she did these things solely for Sophia and Lulu. I think that she thinks she did, but really, her reasons were also somewhat selfish. She hereself states that she liked to show off her daughers talents to others. Throughout the book she writes about the fights she frequently had with Lulu over practicing the violin and not letting her do things with her friends. But she also writes about the successes of her daughters. Sophia played the piano at Carnegie Hall, and Lulu auditioned for Julliard and studied with world renowned violinists. Both girls seem to be incredibly talented and brilliant.

In the end, after months of enduring Lulu not speaking to her and telling her how much she hates her and her life frequently, she decides that she has no choice but to loosen her grip a little bit out of fear of losing Lulu. She relented and let Lulu quit violin and start playing tennis.

What are my thoughts on this book? Well, I'm not sure I'm entitled to comment on parenting when I have never been one. My parents were somewhat distracted and the "let's just be friends" type. They were polar opposited to the Chuas. I personally feel that Chua's style of parenting has pros and cons. It's clearly too extreme, but as a result she has incredibly smart and talented daughters. Who knows what sort of great things I could have done with my life if I had been forced to learn something with the same intensity that Sophia and Lulu were. But I also think that she was verbally and emotionally abusive, and that children shouldn't be told over and over again that they're lazy, pathetic and stupid. They also need time to be kids, play, and have friends.

I loved this book...I read it in just over 2 hours and couldn't stop. Whether you agree or not with Chua's parenting, this is a book that will keep you turning the pages. It's also a good commentary on the differences in the attitudes of Westerners and Easterners.

Bring On 2012!

Well, the bad news is that getting up at 4am for work on New Year's Eve puts a serious kink in the festivities....

The good news is that I started 2012 off on the right foot by running the Resolution Run at the Running Room last night with many of my running buddies. It was a great run, and symbolized the commitment to be active in the coming year. It was sooo great to see so many people out....people I've never seen at the RR before chosing to come out and commit to better health :-)

My best friend Erin has been in Italy for the last 2 months, but she's home now and came to spend New Years with me...which is our usual tradition. I'm sad to say that after one drink and half a movie, I was asleep on the couch....and it was before 10. She woke me up just before midnight....and then it was bedtime LOL.

This morning I made us whole wheat blueberry pancakes with whip cream and maple syrup...then we went for a beautiful walk through Jackson Park....

There were soooo many people out walking, running, cross country skiing, etc....the vibe was great. It was a nice, mild day, which made for a very relaxing and invigorating walk :-)

Resolutions for 2012

I think that New Year's Resolutions are great. A lot of people don't like them because nobody sticks to them and they can have some negative connotations attached to them because of that. Personally, I love them. I think that everyone should have personal goals, and for me, writing them down and reviewing them once in a while gives me a feeling of stability and purpose. They aren't anything grand and some people might find them downright ridiculous and pointless, but they're important to me, and whether I accomplish them or not is irrelavent....what's most important is to have something to work towards. So...without further comment.....

1. Complete the WIPocalypse

2. Stitch 4 squares for Love Quilts

3. Finish my 2009 Christmas quilt

4. Start a new quilt

5. Run a 10k in under 1 hour

6. Run a half marathon in 2:15

7. Strengthen my core

8. Study yoga

9. Learn to play chess

10. Read more books than last year (at least 19)

11. Read more scripture

12. Call my Grandpa every week

13. Put others first more often

14. Be more organized

It seems like an exhausting list but it really isn't. A lot of these resolutions (or intentions perhaps) are things that I've been working on for years, months, or weeks, depending. Some of them are new, and I'm looking forward to getting going on them :-)

I hope 2012 is good to you all!!