Ugh...

Temperatures changing constantly, a rain cloud or two, and you have the perfect recipe for the common cold. This is the second one in the space of a month that I’ve come down with so far and I’m blaming it on changing temperatures inside and outside. I’m lucky it isn’t what I usually come down with during the months of November or December, bronchitis <-- very evil!!! I think my only saving grace from bronchitis this year is the fact that I’m no longer in school and don’t have to worry about catching it from someone sitting near me during class! LOL Now all I have to worry about is the spreading of office germs!!

So with all these silly colds, I haven’t been stitching much lately if at all. I’ve heard of people who can still stitch or knit while being sick, but I’m definitely not one of those people, though it depends on the type of cold. I think in my case, it is the medicine I’ve been taking….makes me sleepy all the time. At the end of the workday, I just go home and watch TV or a movie and go to sleep. I have no energy to stitch, which is sad because I would love to finish my Elements sampler this month. I tried to stitch on it over the weekend, but the dragon I’m working on……was overwhelming. There are only two thread colors on this sampler, but the dragon has both of them together and I shouldn’t have tried to read my chart after taking cold medicine. All the squares kept running together so I put my cross-stitch away!

Despite my crazy cold and the sleep-inducing medicine (I think they mislabeled it non-drowsy), my aunt and I were able to go by Pensacola to my LNS on Saturday and get a few pieces framed for Christmas. Kathy at Needle Delights was very helpful about giving advice for mat colors and showing my aunt and I how those mats and certain frames help to make colors ‘pop out’ in my stitched pieces. We were very much indebted to Kathy for taking our order for the frames. Somehow I had missed the email about the framing deadline, but she was nice enough to put us in the order that she was making that week to get pieces framed for Christmas!!!!

I can’t wait to pick them up this weekend! They will cost a small fortune, but it will be worth it to see Christmas Tea and the JBW dog design framed!!! By the way, did you guys see the amazing job that Carolina Dreams did on her Christmas Tea pattern? She had the right color linen, unlike my platinum linen, so her colors really ‘popped.’ I also like the frame she painted for her piece.

Oh, by the way, I was actually good this time when I went to Needle Delights. My aunt and I talked to Kathy about frames and then we browsed the store. I promised myself that I would not buy any more patterns until I had finished what was in my stash at home! LOL I kept my promise! My self-control actually worked this time! I only bought some light mocha cashel linen by Zweigart for two Little House Needlework designs that I want to work on next year after I finish my Elements sampler. I also bought a few skeins of thread that the patterns called for that weren’t your average DMC colors.

In other news, I am almost done with my Christmas shopping. I still have one aunt to buy for and an uncle who never gives anyone a list for Christmas. I’m totally at a loss as to what I should get him. He has been talking about wanting a Kindle, but they are so expensive, and luckily sold out on Amazon so none of us has to even consider it as a Christmas gift!!! <-- That would have definitely been a joint gift with several people chipping in to afford it!!

Now what? I still don’t have a clue. LOL Typical gift-buying dilemma, you always know what to get for your aunts/mothers, etc., but never the guys in the family. Well, I’ll think of something, especially since my sister and I are going to Pensacola on Saturday to pick up my framed pieces. We were thinking of going to their mall and looking for Christmas gifts. Pensacola’s malls are so much better than Mobile’s malls, which contains more jewelry and shoe stores than should be allowed! Though I will say that at least we have the Eastern Shore Centre across the bay that is nice. Reminds me of Staines’ outdoor shopping centre in England!

Happy Stitching or Shopping!