New Year, New Start

With 2014 behind me, I am focusing ahead to this year.  First, a quick recap.

I can't believe my last post was last March.  Near the end of April, my symptoms returned and was scheduled for immediate cervical fusion the first week of May.  The surgery and recovery was leaps and bounds easier than the lumbar fusion.  It was slow and very little stitching got down until the end of August.  Just in time to gear up for the final push to closing on our new home and moving in.  I had started my new project Amy Brown's Mini "Curiosity" HAED.  I also worked on a small called "I Barely Survived...".  And the weekend after we closed on our home I finished "Blackstone Fantasy".  I love the finished product.  Looking for a frame now and a place to put it on my new blank walls.  Started a small, "Slainte".  The lovely holidays came and went and here we are - 2015.

"Blackstone Fantasy Garden"
Ink Circles
Completed 10/2014

"I Barely Survived"
My Big Toe
Completed 10/2014
Just needs a flower button on the blue square

Working on 28ct hand dyed by Rumple Beary Rumors with GAST Forest Glade
A. Fox Originals

At this point, I have hopes and dreams of what I would like to be able to get done this year.  As usual I worry about actual completions, or at least visible progress.  Of course "Slainte" is almost complete.  I wanted to start another smallish for my home, but my sister just got engaged. Alessandra Adelaide just introduced a new design - Engagement.  I am trying to choose 
between that and Promessa.  I have until the end of July. I am also trying to throw in some little 
projects for my kids' rooms for Christmas and possibly for others in the family.

Looks like a busy year.

I have 2 resolutions this year - to update this blog on a more regular basis and to try and get to the

gym twice a week.

What about you?

Healthy stitching!

Slow Start

As you can probably guess with my lack of posting, my neck issues have not gotten better. I went back to my PCP right after the start of the year.  He sent me for an MRI and a referral to an orthopedic surgeon.  After the MRI I anxiously awaited heading to the doctor.  He is part of a group I have no trust whatsoever in.  My PCP only refers to him because he believes he's one of the best in the city so I gave him a chance.  Started the appointment with his assistant who did all the question asking, verifying, and note taking.  When the doc came in, he verified all the little test results his assistant got and dropped a bomb on me. The MRI I had already gone through was unreadable and he was sending me out to get another done and it had to be a closed MRI.  With my fear and anxiety he was great and gave me something to relax.  Got that done and got back to him.  It was defiantly an ugly MRI.  Disc herniation all into the left nerve root space.  So, he then sent me to his injection guy.  I was finally able to get in with him on the 5th of March.  I am 2 weeks out and doing ok.  most of my symptoms come and go, and the longer I go the less all of it becomes.  I still don't feel 100%.  Saw the surgeon again yesterday.  He said if I feel like I need it, to go back and get a 2nd injection to see if that gets me to 100%.  Then, when it gets really bad again to go back and see him.  The next step will be based on how long the relief gained from the injection lasts.  The longer the better for me.  Here's to keeping my fingers crossed.

I was able to get some stitching done and have my first finish of 2014.

Dimensions "Horse Pals"
3/18/2014

I am going to wait to finish it until my daughter picks out paint colors for her new room.

I also started a new piece.  A SAL with a stitching buddy of mine, InkkFreakk.

HAED "Mini Curiosity"
3/18/2014

We are both working on it and posting pics of our progress on our Facebook page.  I am really looking forward to working on this and having a cheerleader to help me through the hard times.  I only hope I can get Inkk through her tough ones in return.  And wow, can we say confetti?  A new experience I hope to learn a lot from.

I am still going to work on Blackstone Fantasy.  I am also thinking I need to add in a small to keep my sanity during these big ones.

Those are my big dreams right now and I hope to feel healthy enough to work on them and enjoy them to their fullest.

Next month the house search begins and I am truly so excited to get my own space.  I'll keep you posted!

Healthy stitching!

P.S. Like the new look?

Out with the old...And in with the old

It has been so hectic, crazy, overwhelming, and painful here that I have been very anti-stitching and anti-
posting.  I had my gallbladder out the week before Thanksgiving.  I traveled across Colorado for the
holidays to be with my family.  I did a lot of resting.  It took another week before I felt even halfway human.
I didn't really feel like I was me again til at least 3 weeks later.  A week before Christmas, I woke up feeling l
like my neck had a huge knot in it.  The pain kept getting worse no matter what I tried.  Then Christmas Eve I had shooting pains down my left arm all the way to my pinkie. Had a wonderful Christmas with Hubby's family.  Then, I broke down and went to the doctor the day after.  Right now we are calling it a neck strain.  I am taking a round of steroids and doing some ROM exercises.  Hoping this takes care of the pain.  If not it is off for imaging and to see what is going on in my neck.  This is kinda how my back started and then was a long road of not doing surgery and lots of pain management.  Kinda scared to start this process all over again.  So I am trying to be optimistic, but keeping possible reality in the back of my mind.  All this right before the New Year that I was hoping was going to be filled with more ups than downs.

I can finally show you "The Quilter" I completed at the beginning of the year!

My MIL loves it and as you can tell it is already on display on her couch.  I totally missed her opening it, but hubby said she just lit up.  That is all I hope for when giving gifts.  My SIL liked Petunia as well.

I have updated my Finishes page with all my completions for the year.  Hoping for more next year.

Healthy Stitching!

Run over by a Semi

October 26th started it all.  That morning I woke up with a muscle twinge.  That night I was in the ER for what we thought was appendicitis.  I was released cause they couldn't figure out what was going on.  Went to my primary on Monday and she thought gallbladder and sent me for a HIDA scan.  That determines the functionality of the gallbladder.  That took a week to get into and another week for results.  That came back normal so she sent me to a GI doc.  He said surgery Wednesday?  I said sure.  It can't be as bad as a spinal fusion, right?  And he uses the robot so just 1 incision.  I am looking for pain and nausea relief at this point.

I am pretty sure I didn't have surgery.  They just knocked me out and ran me over.  That's my story and I am sticking to it.  LOL

The day after the surgery is always the worst.  I know this, but it was worse than I thought. I think today is better but barely.  Praying this weekend really shows improvement.

"Blackstone Fantasy"
Progress 11/22/13

I had to frog some of the brown outline but it wasn't too bad.  Best tip ever - do all the green outline first.  It helps with getting the rest of everything in the right place.  Just a little bit more of that and then onto the brown outline.

Been too loopy to work on it or in too much pain or too tired.  Hoping that next week might see me better enough to stitch just a little.

Now it is time for me to finish up all my Christmas cards and goodies to get sent out for all my groups.  I have 2 Secret Santa's to finish up. Then to finish shopping and start wrapping. I love the holidays coming up!

Healthy Stitching!

Can't Stop Believing

That's right, I am done!  It has been nearly 3 weeks of pain, pain meds making me loopy and tired, and lots of doctors saying they do not know what is going on.  But when I could I stitched and got the body of "Savannah Birth Sampler" done.  Now I am just waiting on a baby to finish the last bit.

This is my version - lots and lots of purple.

Savannah Birth Record
Progress 11/6/2013

And this is the original.

And a close up

Savannah Birth Record
11/8/2013

So happy that I got it done before the birth of the baby.  I have to go find a mat and a frame. I actually feel a little bereft.  I have been so involved in getting this done.  It was all I could think about.  I put "Blackstone Fantasy Garden" back on the scroll rods but haven't done more than look at it. Need to get my mojo going again.  Maybe I can get it finished before we buy a house.

Blackstone Fantasy Garden
7/29/2013

Towards that end...look what I found at Joann's on Saturday for really cheap.

Yup, the Ottlite I have been looking at for awhile now.  I just couldn't justify the price.  This is the model that usually sells for over $200.  They had it on sale for $99 and then I had a coupon for 25% off, including sale items.  Hubby said go for it, so I did.

Then I moved my stitching corner to the downstairs and made the kids clean up their toys.

New Ottlite in it's new home

New Stitching corner

Too bad I don't have a view anymore.  We think that this may help with our current living situation.  We can only hope. Now to get the mojo flowing so I can settle in and make the magic happen.

For hubby's birthday I bought the whole family ice side seats for our favorite college hockey team, the CC Tigers.  They were playing their big rivals DU.  We had pucks flying at us, big hits right in front of us, and a stupid ref who would always get in the way.  But seeing my family have so much fun was more a treat for me than even the game.

CC Tiger Hockey Game
11/8/2013

Off to another doctor's appointment.  Hopefully this one will know what I have going on.

Healthy Stitching!

How Tall is a Giraffe?

It is snowing in Colorado!

Pikes Peak

I am so happy about it.  Except for picking the kids up from school.  So with the cooler weather I am hoping to stitch more as I do not like to be outside all that much.  Love the look not the reality I guess.  LOL

I need to stay away from Etsy.  Found these needleminders from a seller in the UK.  I kept coming back to them but kept shying away from the possible cost.  In the end I got 2 from the UK where I could only have gotten 1 from the US.  So I may just keep buying from overseas if I keep getting deals like that!

It even looks pretty on my current fabric.  I am able to keep a couple threads going for the multiple leaf colors in this last square.  I would never have been able to do that before.  I wish someone would have told me about these earlier!

On to my current progress. I did exactly what I wanted to do.  Got the ears done and then the outside square.  I have made pretty decent progress on the giraffe.  I made the most color changes on him and really have to keep my eye on the chart and then think about all the changes.  So lots slower going this week.  But I think it will look amazing when I am done.  The close up is a little bluer than real life.  Not sure why I can't seem to get a true life camera on the pics.

Progress 10/14/2013

Progress 10/14/2013

So the great idea of using my old hair clips to hold the chart was brilliant but also not. When I shifted the chart from the left to the right I could still see where the clip had been. The back needs a little fabric between the actual clip and the stitching fabric.  Ooops, but I can't see them now.  I was freaking out for a little bit.  Right now I have been clipping the chart to the wooden spacer and it has been working out.

Healthy Stitching!

Is That a Heffalump I See?

Ever more computer issues left me with no dropbox and no way to update with pictures. Finally got that fixed last night.  Hopefully the last time I will have to deal with installing that.

"Savannah Baby Sampler"
Progress 10/6/2013

I was unable to post progress shots so I gave you one that I did last week up until Monday morning and as of right now.

"Savannah Baby Sampler"
Progress 10/8/2013

This is the first major color change for one of the animals.  The camera on my phone is making everything a little pinker today.  I am hoping to get the elephant to pop more with the back stitching color.  Will have to choose that carefully. This is DMC 3042 and matches the bedding set perfectly.  The crazy part is that the ears are orange.  So definitely something different.  But I am all for making this gift match.  I am hoping to have the elephant's ears done tomorrow so I can finish stitching the long stretches that make up the box outline.  By this weekend I should hopefully be onto the giraffe, the next major color change part of this project.  It is looking like I am going to finish this on time if not early. There will be a big sigh of relief here once I do.  Then I can move onto finishing  my homecoming present for myself.

I received my exchange ornie from Carola and I absolutely love it!  I saw this pattern while searching for a pattern for her and thought it would fit right in at my house.  And look what came to live with me.  The fabric is so soft, I can't not touch it.  The card was so pretty too. Thank you so much!  I am really loving taking part in these exchanges!

ILCS 2013 Halloween/Fall Exchange
from Carola
Front

ILCS 2013 Halloween/Fall Exchange
from Carola
Back

On the home front, Hubby has a clean bill of health.  Just leftover reaction from the Cipro still hanging around.  My son seems to be getting relief with the allergy shots.  Hopefully at the next appointment we can either stop the use of some of the medicine or frequency of the shots.  Time will only tell.

We finally had some cooler weather around here and I am loving it.  My daughter not so much.  She has always hated the cold unless there was snow involved.  This winter should be fun, huh?

It is looking like we are going to try to be preapproved for a home loan in December, and then I can start house hunting.  I am really looking forward to December!

Healthy Stitching!