Way behind in reading!

I was just updating my list of books read for the year and I noticed a note on my list.  I had noted that in 2010, I had read 50 books between 1 July and 31 December.  For 2011, I've only read 41 books - I'm way behind.  I have no doubt that when the months get colder, I will do more reading.  Then again, the heat the last few weeks has driven me insideas much as the snow did over the winter.  Though photos don't show it, I have been doing a lot of stitching lately.  And a lot of long-term planing for vacation, stitching and genealogy.

Check out my list of books read underneath the blogs on the right side.  It's a varied list, some popular with various book clubs.  I also welcome recommended reads as well.

Halloween update

The most current status on the Boo Club.

Wordy wednesday

Life has been so busy for the last few weeks and an update is far overdue.  I tried to do some posts ahead but even then ran out of time.

Last week's wordless wednesday showed a giant, old-style Ladies shoe which I found in the the Philadelphia Library.  Parts are stitched and other parts, I'm not so sure how it's put together.  But overall, it is interesting art.  It's located on the second floor.

We headed for southern NJ/Philly area for a family wedding and to do a bit of family history.  Not much to report on the family history, just a few obits but the live family history, i.e. the wedding of our nephew was wonderful.  Here's the happy couple at the reception - at the Jersey shore.

Since we were staying a few days, we drove out.  On the way, I finished Constantinople.  This is one of my pieces on the January Challenge list. I have to admit, it had been sitting around and lingering because I didn't like the pulled thread areas.  Normally I like pulled thread but not on canvas.  So I put it in my bag for the car and "forced" my self to work on it and came up with an alternate idea for the pulled areas.  That's officially seven complete now.

For the car trip home, I pciked up another canvas piece I had brought with me but had not started.  I knew I needed another thread for the autumns leaves.  And I fould something that works for me at Rittenhouse Needlepoint in downtown Philly.  Wonderful shop!  Even my husband was impressed.  There were threads everywhere but very well organized and out on display.  Great natural lights from the windows.  There was a large table near the center which is where my hubby patiently waited for me.  Anyhow, the last night at the hotel, I put in the center leaf.  Then on the drive home (including the stop while an accident was cleaned up) I got the area around the leaf and the vast majority of the borders stitched.  This is an old Laura Perin chart and I will look up the name for the next post.

Lastly, I really did take a picture of my threads at the end of the month.  Just never seemed to have time to post it.  So, here are the June threads.  See the orange -that's from the halloween piece.

wordless wednesday

More progress is being made on Sea Opal.  I'm nearly ready to add the "sea opals".

If this photo looks a lot like the last update on the Boo Club, it's because everything has been ripped out, not once but twice!  Nothing seem to go right with "pumpkin", so I tried "fright" instead and thought the house looked great, it was in the wrong area to keep the piece balanced.  So out it came.  Hopefully this coming week, "pumpkin" will go back in correctly and progress will be made.