Sleepless nights and British magazines

I had a lovely weekend with my family, although my headaches have been pretty bad due to trouble sleeping lately. Oh well, hopefully that'll straighten itself out soon. I didn't have time for much stitching, but I had some time when I was unable to fall asleep one night. I worked on Live Simply, it's such a wonderful piece!

"Live Simply"

I love the bright colors (which are kind of washed out in this picture, unfortunately) and simplicity of the design. And the darker blue piece is the combination of two different-colored threads, which I loved! It adds so much depth, and it's just plain lovely! It's also helped me pay more attention to how the threads settle when you make a stitch, so I think I'm making better stitches now. (Hopefully!) :)

After dinner with my family on Saturday night, my wonderful father bought me a cross stitch magazine from Barnes and Noble! Isn't that awesome?

I'm quite excited about the folk art deer pattern, and the rose is lovely. And I learned a new way to start threads - a loop start. I love it, it's so tidy! I must say, I'm also somewhat overly excited by this being a British magazine. Everything's in pounds! And "color" is "colour!" And there was talk of samplers for the diamond jubilee! :D

I hope you had a delightful weekend! :)

It's Friday, I'm in love! :D

It's a gorgeous day, my parents and brother are visiting me for Family Weekend, and I'm making progress on my many assignments! Plus, I got ANOTHER cross stitch kit in the mail Wednesday night - how could it get any better? :)

My new cross stitch kit! :D I started it almost immediately, and I am loving it.

 "Live Simply"

Began October 25, 2012

I must say, this design is really cool. I combine colors for the darker piece of the stitching I've done - one strand light blue, one strand royal blue. How cool is that? :D It makes this cool effect. I love it! And the design is so simple and lovely, it fits the title perfectly. :)

Here's another update on Live, Love, Laugh! I made some progress with the pretty prettiness. :)

I haven't touched Snowman and Friends since Wednesday. I'm quite enthralled by Live Simply at the moment, hence the large amount of progress on it. And now, I shall take a nap, because hey, it's Friday! I can take naps, cross stitch, avoid writing papers for just a bit longer... :) Enjoy your Friday as well, reader!

Accountability and extrinsic rewards. :D

Inspired by my psychology lecture of the day, yesterday I tried out some accountability and an extrinsic reward system as a means of limiting my procrastination problem, and I met with great success. I gave my sewing basket to my hallmate Anita, and she was not allowed to give it back until I had completed a set amount of schoolwork. I did so with hitherto unheard of rapidity and was allowed my precious cross stitching back.

My dear sewing basket and home of all my cross stitching supplies. :)

 I received this kit in the mail with the utmost joy Monday night...

...And of course, took the first opportunity yesterday to begin it. I was overwhelmed temporarily by the detail and skill level of the pattern, but I am determined to press on and gain more experience. Snowman and Friends is on 18 count Aida, whereas everything else I've stitched is on 14 count, and this pattern uses a great deal of color and half- and quarter-cross stitches.

 "Snowman and Friends"

Began October 23, 2012

And I've made a bit of progress on Live, Love, Laugh, despite having to go back and undo several stitches because of an early error in counting. I love the prettiness of this piece. :)

 "Live, Love, Laugh"

In other news, I finished listening to Sense and Sensibility while stitching Live, Love, Laugh today, to my greatest delight. Surely such a lovely novel, and such a satisfying ending, was the only way I could be lifted out of my low spirits. I have developed a rapid adoration of Jane Austen that I cannot believe was not earlier in beginning, for I first read Pride and Prejudice many years ago and loved it. Perhaps, as with Great Expectations, I was not ready then to fully take it in, and so did not pursue my interest further. I was also quite busy with school reading. I still am, but my student employment and my stitching allow me much more leisure time for audiobook delights nowadays. :) And now I shall stop babbling on, and leave you to your own stitching, dear reader. Have a delightful Wednesday! Eat some chocolate. It makes everything better. :)

The products of procrastination...

Too little sleep, lots of cross stitch progress. You don't even want to know how late I stayed up finishing my paper. But it was worth it, because look! :D

"Darth Vader" by Chris (Osmosis)

Began August 21, 2012

Finished October 22, 2012

Now I just have to fix all those wrinkles and work on framing it! This has been such a fun project! :) I love my Friday nights, sitting in my room listening to Jane Austen or Charles Dickens audiobooks and cross stitching. :)

I hope you, dear reader, are having a lovely Monday! <3

All of my cross stitching experience. Ever.

On August 2, 2012, my family was driving up to New Hampshire from South Carolina. We were in... oh, Pennsylvania, maybe? And I was bored out of my mind. I considered buying Pokemon White (I already have Pokemon Black) from Gamestop... but then I thought hey, maybe I'll check out the craft section of Walmart. I picked up a beginner cross stitch kit on a whim, and I was hooked.

 "Tiny Turtle"

Began August 2, 2012

Finished August 7, 2012

Pretty soon I was back at Walmart, desperate for more. New Hampshire was hot, and all I wanted to do was sit on the porch and cross stitch. Crazy Northerners, with their lack of air conditioning.

 "Cupcake"

Began August 8, 2012

Finished August 11, 2012

And even once I was home, I couldn't resist some more cross stitching. Battle for Middle Earth? Nah, I'm stitching a strawberry! :D

"Strawberry"
Began August 13, 2012

Finished August 19, 2012

I still have no idea what I'm going to do with these three projects... Okay, so I lied. I'm considering putting them all in these cute little wooden frames (also from Walmart):

However, I'm not sure they relate well enough for that... You know? To me, they're my first three cross stitches ever, and they'd be in the order in which I stitched them. But to everyone else... it's a turtle, a cupcake, and a strawberry, entirely unrelated to each other.

On to current projects! :D

 "Darth Vader" by Chris (Osmosis)

Began August 21, 2012

What happened with that one? Why has so little progress taken two months? Well, reader, I went to college.

Also, yay for free patterns! http://www.dorkstitch.com/come-to-the-dark-side-we-have-cookies/. I super appreciate this wonderful, nerdy pattern. I'm stitching it for my equally wonderful, nerdy boyfriend. :) Shhh, it's a huge secret!

"Live, Love, Laugh"

Began October 5, 2012

Another Walmart buy! :D I couldn't take all the black anymore, so one evening I opened this kit up and stitched a bit of color. Haven't touched it since though. Soon, my dear, soon...

I love whoever just read this. Leave me a comment, so that I know on whom to shower my love. Have a fabulous, beautiful Saturday! <3