Another Coffee House Mystery.....

bites the dust (at least in my house) and ends up on PaperBackSwap for the next eager reader.  As usual Cleo Coyle does not disappoint.  I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure as the main character, Clare Cosi, goes digging for trouble.  Trouble that eventually leads her into the arms of the man she is meant to be with, NYPD Detective Mike Quinn.  They are not totally together yet it will happen I can feel it in my bones. Perhaps they will finally get it together in the next book--at least that is my wish. LOL 

I recently discovered that the Cleo Coyle writing team have a Haunted Book Store Mystery Series under the pen name Alice Kimberly.  Fortunately the first two books were avaliable on PBS.  How exciting!!!

See ya!!

CJ

I'm am Stitching Again!!

Can I hear on big WOOHOO!! I started stitching again, only for an hour or so at a time and it is great.  My CTS is under control and so very happy.  I'm only wearing the brace a few times a week at night.  Wearing  the brace and losing weight has really helped my wrist/hand.  Hope it stays like this forever.  As for weight lose I am down 17 pounds.

Stitching Update

So what am I stitching?  I am playng catchup still working on BRD "Stop and Smell the Flowers".  I also plan to adapt a portion of this pattern into a biscornu for a challenge I am hosting on swap-bot.  Check it out perhaps a few of you would like to join me. 

I have some PIF's to finish up that will be going out in the next few weeks. Then I plan to host another one to support "Stand Up to Cancer".  Still working on the details for this one.  Speaking of cancer check out Nancy's blog.  Nancy is collecting "Think Pink" items from her friends and followers to raffle off on her blog in the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness.  What a great cause, please stop by and give her a shout out of encouragement.

Papercrafts

Since I have been working full time for the past 7 weeks--3 more to go-- my card making/paper crafting has been put on the back burner so to speak.  I have a few swaps coming, I will try to take a few pictures to share with you as I get the cards made.  I am also considering hosting a card making party for OWH this summer.  To support OWH from now on, each time I make a card for an exchagne I will make at least on extra for OWH.   I think that sounds like a good plan.

Basket Weaving

I did make a new basket, actually two recently.  One is an oval gift basket accented with black and red, the other is an Easter basket.  I plan to make several more oval gift baskets for my kids teachers and one wine basket for a retiring teacher friend.  

Reading

Currently I am reading a cozy murder mytery called Crewel World (Needlecraft Mysteries, Book 1) that I picked up from paperbackswap.com.  I need to come up with a creative way to display what I have read, what I am reading and what I intend to read on thie blog.  If you have any ideas please send them my way.

Other Stuff

As for the family we are doing great.  DH is down 28 pounds--you didn't think I would go on a diet by myself now.  The kids are fine.  One is in the Miracle League and two are playing soccer.  My oldest DD will take some art lessons next month, turns out the kid loves to draw.  We are also looking at summer camp activities.  Can't believe we are only weeks away from summer break.  Thank goodness my job will be finished in 3 weeks and I can get some things done around the house before the kids are here 24/7.

Oh well, time for coffee.

BTW - Meari, love your new car. 

See ya!!

CJ

Happy 2010!!

This is my first post for 2010 and the month is almost over. My life just gets in the way of my posting. I really should try to find more time to post or come up with a better system. On the home front, the family is good although hubby is a little disappointed with the Cowboys. Oh well!!

Stitching Update

Actually did a good bit of stitching this week. I have finished the grid for Blue Ribbon Design Stop and Smell the Flowers. I have one letter left to stitch on my Granny ornament, and I have almost finished a biscornu for an upcoming exchange. I received a Christmas packet from Pirjo for an ornament exchange we had on CSE. He stitching is superior as always and I just adore how she finishes her pieces. I am so lucky to have two ornaments from her now. She sent some metallic thread, a piece of hand dyed fabric and the snowman ornament with a sweet card.

2010 reading Olympics

I finished Hey Diddle, Diddle the Corpse and the Fiddle by Fran Rizer on 8 Jan and started Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. Thus far it is slow going in the new book, I am only on chapter three--that is what I get for only reading in bed.

Paper Crafts

Card making seems to be taking over my life. I am going to stop getting feeds and just checking for updates on my blog roll. It is just to tempting to start something new or buy more stash when I can read about it in e-mail. I entered a card in the Card Maker Weekly Challenge. This the category is Monochromatic. My card is shades of yellow. I used all Stampin Up! materials, even the button is made out of paper.

During the holidays I made Gift Tags and Gift Card holders for exchanges on Card Swap. The card holders and tags that I got back were fabulous and they came in very handy. I used up all the tags for my kids Christmas gifts. I managed to save a few to copy for next year. Here are pictures of my Gift Tags -- I had to make a dozen. They are folder like a match book with white paper inside for a note or sentiment.

I had to make six Gift Cards and they were pretty ordinary, but I got back some really nice ones. Unfortunately, they are all gone and I did not take any pictures of them. Bad me!! Here is a shot of some that I made. I used a pinwheel design that I got from Barb.

Recently, I started to cover some old bird houses with the designer papers I have collected and I am really pleased with the outcome. I got the idea from a card Maker magazine. So far I have two finished. One I kept for myself the other was a present for my baby girls teacher. The plan is to display them in my kitchen above the cabinets with greenery and lights. This is a picture of the one I kept. The box it is sitting on is also covered with paper. It is Washi paper from Japan, I have had that paper for many years and I love working with it.

Basket Weaving

Last week my friend and basket weaving mentor Sue came up and we did a little weaving. I was able to finish the trim on my Cherokee Market basket and weave the Ladybug kit I had bought last October. We plan to do it again on Tuesday this week. Making baskets leaves me with a really "green" feeling. These baskets will last almost forever, if they ever get tossed out they will not harm the environment. I have baskets around that I weaved over 20 years ago and I still use them today. I use the market basket to carry my weaving tools and the other is a gift. They are not perfect but I love them and they look even better in person.

For Christmas I made a few Nativity baskets for family members. Here is a picture of one.

Here's wishing all of you a very happy and healthy 2010. Thanks for stopping by I really appreciate all your comments.


See ya!!

CJ