I Caved.......

....Yes, dear friends, I caved!  I caved and banished Ann to the corner.  I'm not proud of it and you can all flog me with wet floss if you wish (no throwing of needles though, please), but I caved.  Here she is when I left her yesterday morning:

I know, I know.  So close to finishing up that next section.  But putting in that lettering (which I normally find kind of mindless), was making my entire body itch, making me jump repeatedly out of my chair and circle the house mumbling to myself, and reaching for anything that was bad for me (like Fritos dipped in chocolate - ymmmmm - kind of sounds like I was PMSing, doesn't it?  And I was doing that at 7a.m. Sunday morning).  I finally knew when I was beat, and put her aside.  That's not to say that she won't be resurrected in a week or so, but for the time being she can sulk in a corner.  DS is still on his early to school in the morning routine, so that may be part of it.  When you only get about 20 stitches in at a pass, it becomes exasperating on such a large piece.

Speaking of which, this morning you would have found me in the kitchen at 4:45 a.m. making pancake batter for the masses at DS' school.  October 23 is Mole Day (and I'm probably not spelling that right).  It has to do with some equation that the AP Chem class has (10 to the 23rd power or something - I never took AP Chem, so I'm clueless and even though he tried to explain it to me, I was still half asleep).  So to celebrate Mole Day, they cook pancakes for the 400 kids in the Chemistry classes.  Last Thursday was the real Mole Day, but due to the teacher being out, it was held today.  And quess who was in charge - yes siree Bob, my son.  But quess who has to get the starter batches of pancake mix ready.  Yes, that would be Moi!  So you see why, at 9:00 at night when I finally land in my stitching chair, only 20 stitches get made!

So, what is a girl to do, but find something else - something that she can see light at the end of the tunnel even if there are only 20 stitches in a night.  It had to be in the stash pile - my goal is to clear up stash - no market orders that I was just itching to get to.  So I picked up this.  It's been in my stash for eons:

Mystery Sampler

35 count Parchment

DMC threads

Anyone know what it is?  Maybe I should make a guessing game out of it.  Maybe there will be a prize if someone guesses what sampler it is.  I'm curious to see if someone can identify it.  And, I have to make an admission, that this may not be the only new start I have.  I'm itching to fill every scroll rod that I have in this house with projects.  I feel like a man that's been in the desert.......I need new projects.......I need inspiration ......I need........perhaps I need some help!  LOL

So, anyway, I'm not proud of myself, but I just had to do something else.  I think that after spending two whole months and two days on Ann, I really made a good attempt, don't you think?  And she hasn't been banished to the stitching graveyard upstairs, just behind my chair.  I hear her whine sometimes, but I tell her this:

Yeah, that's right, "Don't make me get the flying monkeys".  I found this sign at a prim shop I went into recently and had to have it for my craft room.  The Wizard of Oz is just about my favorite movie (well, so is Gone With the Wind) and when my kids were little and had seen it for the first time, those monkey's scared the bejesus out of them.  So whenever they were bad I would tell them, "Don't make me get the flying monkeys".  After a few times of me saying that, they would laugh, but it did get them a couple of times (I know, mean mommy).   Even my husband laughed when he saw the sign in my room, just because it's been one of those sayings he's heard me say numerous times throughout our marriage (he's been on the receiving end of that saying, too!  LOL).

While I was going through my itching process with Ann and trying not to start another project, I did manage to get some knitting done this week:

After about four attempts of trying to remember how to do this pattern it finally clicked (You Tube was a huge help).  Now I've only done this pattern I don't know how many times, but it just didn't click.  Fortunately, while I was waiting for my ride to get new rubber (van getting new tires), I made some good progress.  This will look mucho better after it's blocked.

The same day that I found the flying monkeys sign, I happened across another store down the way that had a lot of furniture in it.  Two things I'm trying to find for my craft room are a bookcase, and a bar stool, but it can't be as high as a bar stool.  Well, the store had them, but in sets of four - they didn't want to sell just one, but the whole set.  I started to leave and the owner said, "Wait, I might have what you're looking for in the back and I can sell you one.  It's nicked on the leg, but maybe it will work".  Well, lo and behold, the most perfect chair was there:

It was exactly what I was looking (except for the color which is easily remedied - I wanted red).  And yes, there is a nick, but once painted it will be great!  I was so happy because it's almost an exact match, but taller, to my sewing chair!  SCORE!!!

I also had the misguided notion that I would possibly get some quilting done this week.  I have felt like a real slacker because I haven't done anything Halloweeny.  Well, I open a box (yes, I'm still unpacking things for my room) and what do I find?  This older Thimbleberries pattern and the fabric is all cut out!!  I was doing a happy dance for about ten minutes.  Then the phone rang, then I was off like a shot somewhere, and nothing was sewn.  Well, there is still Thanksgiving to get through, so maybe there is hope for this quilt.

Well, that's about it for me this week.  The pic above was taken from my side yard.  The colors have been so pretty around here (at least when the sun has been out).  But I think we're just about hitting peak.  Seems like a good time to make that final fall cider and donuts scenic tour this week and see what new goodies I can find.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments you leave.  I love receiving them!  Make a lot of X's.  And have a great week.