Most people got surprised few days ago at Facebook when I announced the birth of our baby boy. And I don't blame you. It was a surprise to me too, even though I had nine months to get used to the idea.

Actually I still look at that boy and wonder is he really ours...

I guess he is as he's becoming a spitting image of his daddy and I do remember being there when he was born...

Had anyone said me last year this time that our first child is nine days old 366 days later I probably had thought they were crazy. But I had been happily wrong about that matter - and I was.
Last year I got the best birthday gift ever and last week there was all the Christmases, birthdays, anniversaries etc. at once when I heard his cough for the first time. Our son, my long-awaited miracle child.

Miracles, they do happen.

( Haul One )

Then I found someone who sells discontinued items and other stitchy stuff cheap (which basically means that I am innocent - I really am!)...

( Haul Two )

And then I wandered to ABC Stitch Therapy's Clearance section...

( Haul Three )

When it comes to stitching I have done absolutely NOTHING in two-three weeks... my right hand has some nasty carpal tunnel symptoms at the moment and all the energy (not much) I have had has gone to other activities (rearranging the apartment).

And it seems I was tagged by Christine. I will get back to it when I get my brain back.

( Goodness )

On other news there's nothing much: I have managed few stitches, but nothing worth mentioning. Damned migraines, you used to be good stitching time...

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Rivals :: Competition
2. Automatically :: By itself
3. Bathroom :: Toilet
4. Jerk :: off
5. Preference :: Liking
6. Parenting :: Responsibility
7. Helmet :: Head
8. Wave :: Micro
9. Judo :: *whack* *thud*
10. Flat tire :: Annoying

Actually, coming to think of it, my mojo just has severe ignition issues as if I start stitching I find it fun and could go on and on, but if I have to stop for any reason it's difficult to get back to it again.
Regardless, there is slight progress in something...



Actually there is slight progress in two more things, but I don't have pics of them on this laptop yet (as I may have mentioned I had to get new one)...

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Red tape :: Bureaucracy
2. Crush :: Boom Bang
3. Magical :: Enchanted
4. Sticky :: Note
5. Tile :: Tetris
6. Doubt :: No
7. Inconsistent :: Humans
8. Kiss :: Band
9. Inspiration :: Gift
10. Thanks :: You are welcome.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate configuring new computer? Even blogging takes an hour when you try to adjust your blogging client... to no avail, naturally.

Someone may have taken advantage of Violarium's closeout sale... And Dinky Dyes (20 of them) and Jayne Houtman's Anniversary sampler are from Jayne (she also chose the colours because I wanted a surprise).

Naturally pictures don't do justice to this prettiness, it's dark and I had to use my phone's camera because I don't remember where I put my camera. *grin*

I liked the sentiment and fact that it can be stitched bigger(whole thing) or smaller (without border) based on inspiration and frame available.
What I don't understand is that in the picture it has been stitched on green evenweave, but the kit comes with brown aida. First of all those beautiful browns used in this kit won't pop up on brown nearly as well as they do on green (or maybe light blue) and one would assume they provide same colour fabric in the kit as is in the model... apparently assuming stuff, even when it comes to cross stitch kits, is dangerous.

Though one reason for lack of incessant S.E.X.es is lack of my mojo, it has basically vanished during these months of trying to get my thyroid back to balance. It's still out of whack, not much, but enough. But now that I am past worst phase of these issues I have actually had found traces of my mojo and started a new project in hopes that it would kickstart my mojo for good (this is my excuse and I stick with it): Ellen Maurer-Stroh's Zoo Baby Book. I'm stitching the animals on separate pieces of fabric so they can be used for a quilt.
I am lacking some of the colours so I only stitch them partially and will continue each one when I have floss to do so.

I'm enjoying stitching these: designs are actually smaller than I thought, but it's not a bad thing. I got these three to this phase between 24th and 26th of this month and I did cook Yule meal and washed huge pile of laundry and so on during those days so it's not bad progress, even though one always wishes for more.
And they are cute little buggers.

I simply can't remember from whose blog feed I found this from, but I thought it might be fun thing to try.

2012 WIPocalypse! by Measi

And the spiel goes like this:

"For many years, a rumor has been around that the world will end in 2012.  So really – do you want all of your poor WIP and UFO pieces to be left behind, unfinished?  The guilt!  The shame!  Oh, the horror of all of those innocent little stitchy projects never to be completed!

Here are the rules for the 2012 Wipocalypse:

1. To sign up, leave a comment on this post with your blog address. International bloggers are welcome.

2. Sometime shortly before the start of 2012, make a list of the projects you will be focusing on. Add to and adjust this list throughout the year as you desire.  There are no restrictions regarding new starts for this SAL.  If you feel the desire to start a piece in 2012, add it to your list!

3. On each full moon (or thereabouts), post your progress photos to your site – even if your progress was slower than you hoped.  Label that post with “WIPocalypse” to make it easy for me to find.

4. Once you’ve posted, come over to my blog and find my full moon post, and comment that you’ve updated.  I will create a check-in list of URLs each month for easy blog surfing so fellow participants and readers can cheer you on.

Why is it important to post each month even if you’ve made little progress?
You’ll earn one chance, per status post, for a giveaway drawing to be done on New Year’s Day, 2013!  I don’t want to discourage folks who may have issues that prevent them from posting for a month and force them to give up entirely on the SAL, but I also want to reward those who do check in every month.

What will be in the drawing?
Honestly, I’m not sure yet!  That will be determined throughout 2012 as I add to the box during my trips to my local LNS.  If you’d like to contribute to the box, email me (address below) and I’ll send you my address. Clean, unmarked charts (respect copyright – no photocopies!), finished items, new floss skeins, fabric, etc. are all welcome.  If you have other ideas for a contribution, drop me an email to discuss."

I may actually have some more time i my hands coming year so let's think...

1. Loy Krathong by PINN



2. Futurecast by Teresa Wentzler



3. Madonna of the Garden by Mirabilia



4. Rose Sampler by Ellen Maurer-Stroh



5. The Spanish Sampler by Periphaeria Designs (aka. myself)



6. Star Sampler by Periphaeria Designs



I'm not quite sure are these the latest updates of the projects, but those were the last ones I found from my album.

Man, of course (assumption being that this is woman - man combo).
I am not a feminist, I am a humanist, and traditionalist in this sense.
Someone could probably say that I am degrading my own sex, but that's bollocks. Men pay because I only accept chivalry and I respect my womanhood. Bite that.

That probably was why I didn't have many dates when I was single (though I was bad being single for a long time when I was)... *grin*

Last year (and year before that) we had snow in October and around this time it was freezing. And we had snow. But this year... well, let's say that the weather has been annoyingly warm, so warm that... let me show you.

Yes, flowers. Summer flowers. And I took these pictures 4th of November. Unbelievable.

What makes warm weather REALLY annoying? All the viruses and bacteria flourish and I am sick all the time. I want my winter!

One word: Husband.

I have celebrated my birthday (32 years, yikes!) stitching "Rose Sampler" and noticed that I simply can NOT count. Or then little stitching gnomes restitch that thing when I am not watching...

There are extra rows between the alphabet (which is easy to fix, the sampler just will be longer) and it seems to me that they are also too close to the left border... AAARGH!

Regardless, progress!

(Previous pictures can be found here.)

... but it seems that I am also personal slave for two hedgehogs and personal lifesaver for one squirrel who loves cat food...

Yes, that squirrel is in a cage of a kind: my mom has outing space for cats on the patio. They can get out and in by themselves as long as the living room window is open.

It just isn't squirrel proof.

I had a major stupidity related frog yesterday as I was certain that the brown part of the vine couldn't be GAST's Woodrose as "Woodrose is not that dark". Well, I spend over half an hour frogging those tiny stitches and then stitched that part again... and realised that it had been Woodrose after all! It just looks much darker in small areas (that branch under the birdies is stitched with Woodrose too, as odd as it may sound).
And when I was restitching that brown I realised that I had misplaced some of the leaves on the vine.

Rippit, rippit!

Once again starting point and point just before taking the picture.

At this point I have to admit that my alphabet is off by one thread, luckily it just doesn't show that well over one. And the other swallow is too big. There was some odd miscalculation, but I can't put my finger on it (its tail begins from correct place, but its tail is two rows too tall which also led me to make it a bit heavier than it should be - but if you look at the preview that bird does look bigger and heavier in any case).

Now I am changing project for some time. Maybe just for few hours, but I need some variety.

Beginning and an end (before next day off):

(Direct link to WIP pic in here. Ovi has started to suck big time....)

That vine looks much better colour wise now that I started the alphabet. It's possible that it may eventually become a balanced combination!
I am still undecided about which colour I will use for the dots on the scalloped edge. Maybe I use the one I use for the roses and leave the middle stitch unstitched... not sure, will see later when I have more colours in this to compare.

I did this after finishing one exchange item I had to replace and I forgot about the replacement for a while (*innocent whistling*), I guess I thought I had sent it as it was almost finished.
Though I need to finish finish it still. Was thinking of doing it today, but I am way too tired to focus. Something has been bugging my throat/ neck area last week and I think I am getting sick again... work wasn't busy enough to justify this level of exhaustion.

I was stitching something over one the other day on my break and realised how much fun it is and how much I have missed it... and I think I found my mojo there and then!

I want to pick up Rose Sampler again! Never got far along with it, but that just means there's more fun left!

Why? Because I'm doing it over one! (And those yummy overdyeds help, I think. )

The only thing keeping me from stitching the night away is that I have been working like crazy (read: /me really tired) and there is one more early morning tomorrow... Work, gah!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Diligence :: Durability
2. Volume :: Sound
3. Hospital :: Ward
4. Binge :: Eating</b>
5. Loyalty :: Trustworthiness
6. Pediatrics :: Kids' medicine
7. Authorize :: Allow
8. Cage :: Nicholas
9. Studious :: Considered</b>
10. Transfer :: -ence