I'm experimenting with decorating my blog posts with
free clip art. I am someone who loves visuals, as I'm
sure you've noticed when visiting my picture laden blog.
Since Chrysanthemums are starting their blooming
season right now and into the Fall, here is a lovely
bouquet of pink Mums for you.

It's been busy around here for the past few days, which
meant that I had no time to update my blog on Sunday
morning. So I'm here tonight, midweek, and trying to
remember everything that has been going on since I
last posted. Well, at least the interesting stuff.


First order of business, and biggest news....it's finished!!
Here is Gate with Lantern which I put the last stitches
into on Monday evening. I'm amazed its done. Begun
around July 6th, so it's taken just under two months to
stitch. The design is by Barbara and Cheryl Present
(featured on Stitching Bit's and Bobs site under Graphs
by Barbara and Cheryl) and measures 70 stitches wide
by 90 long. It is stitched with all DMC thread. I'm
quite pleased with it and hope perhaps someday to
stitch another of these as a companion piece.


During the second week of our vacation my DH proved
to me yet again that he is absolutely the Bee's Knees!!
He is an awesome dude!! He is THE MAN!! Why,
you may inquire, am I saying this?? Because one day
we hoped in the car and he drove me down to Port
Credit, a good 45 minute drive from here, and took
me to visit Gitta's Petite Point shop.

Gitta's is cross stitch heaven!! It has charts! Everyone's
charts!! LOTS of charts!! It has threads! And I'm not
talking DMC here, although they do have that there too.
No sir, we're talking Crescent Colours, Dinky Dyes, Weeks
Dye Works and more!! There are fabrics of all kinds,
Mill Hill Beads, Buttons and all of kinds of wonderful,
glorious Cross Stitch STUFF!!!

I spent over two hours wandering in a wide eyed,
slack jawed haze, checking every nook and cranny of
the store out.....at least twice. I bought threads that
I would need for projects. I bought some charts that
I wanted (Waxing Moon Designs...Wheee.....) and the
buttons and fabrics for them. I talked with the ladies
working there. They were so very friendly and
helpful (and not one of them mentioned the goofy
look on my face). I reveled in my surroundings.

And my dear DH spent those two hours waiting
patiently for me to finish. He explored the old
neighbourhood behind Gitta's (Port Credit is a lovely
place, located on the shores of Lake Ontario with
lovely homes on tree lined streets) and poked through
a few stores that caught his eye. But mostly he just
sat in front of the store and waited for me to
regain my senses.


Was that the end of my wonderful day??? Oh no!! Then
he drove me to Chapters bookstore in Square One where
I got to meet the authors of Marked, Betrayed and Chosen
P.C. and Kristen Cast. I got my copy of Marked signed by
them, and listened to them chat with the fans gathered
around their table. Then I got to wander the store for a
bit, before we returned to the car and headed for home.

Now I ask you....is this man not worthy of a nomination
for sainthood?? An academy award??? The Noble Peace
Prize??? Prime Minister of Canada?????? I rest my case.

In case you're wondering Gitta's web site is:
http://www.gittas.com/ and there's lots of pictures of the
interior of the store so you can see what it's like.


And here's the big guy his very self, along with our friend
Sue. They are dressed for a party that we hosted here on
Saturday. Yes, we had a Christmas Party. Why did we
have a Christmas Party in August you may be asking.
Well, because last Christmas we had to cancel our annual
Christmas party because both DH and I got sick and were
too miserable to have it. We promised our friends that
we would have the party at a later date. And we kept our
promise.

We decorated the deck with Christmas lights, stockings,
a small fibre optic tree, and garlands. We hung a wreath
on the garden gate. We used Christmas table cloths and
festive plates. What the neighbours thought about it all
I hate to think. And we told our guests to dress for the
occasion offering prizes for the best dressed.
Unfortunately the weather was humid and hot on the
day of the party, so most preferred to dress for comfort
rather then atmosphere. Sue won the top prize for her
shirt, a Christmas wreath around her neck, and a
creche on a ribbon, hanging down her back. Below is
a back view of the ensemble. Oh, and check out the
earrings.

***************************************************************


This is my latest reading finish. Book one in a three book
trilogy, and the first novel that the author, Maria V. Snyder,
has had published. This fantasy series has been featured
and reviewed on other blogs, which is where I first heard
about it and decided that it sounded like something that
I'd enjoy. And I did. Very much. It's very well written
and the story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
M. Snyder has crafted a well thought out story and
created a nicely detailed world, and characters that
I came to care for and want to read more about.

It begins when the heroine, Yelena is about to be
executed for murder. She is offered a reprieve by
being given the choice of becoming the food taster
for the Commander of Ixia, or going through with
the execution. Needless to say, she chooses to be
trained as a food taster, secretly hoping to escape
at some future time.

Yelena is a hopeless, beaten soul when we first meet
her, but as the story unfolds she begins to recover
from the ordeals that lead to her sentence of death.
She learns about poisons and how to detect them
from the Commander's Chief of Security, and when
attempts on her life force her to take steps to learn
to defend herself Yelena begins to grow from a
victim to a strong, self confident young woman.

I began book two in this series today and am a third
of the way through it already. I have book three on
the shelf to pick up next. This is an excellent read
and I recommend it highly. Check it out and see if
it might be something you'd enjoy too.

**************************************************

I see that Beatrice (Stitching With a View) has just
finished a wonderful, pumpkin filled Halloween
piece by Prairie Schooler and it is adorable. It's
chock full of pumpkins and a scary witches silhouette
and it's just perfect for the Fall season that's on our
doorstep. And Lynn (Kearnel's Korner) had two
lovely finishes, including a Tantes Zolder design in
a wonderful colour combination of mauve and
yellow.

I guess I'd best finish this post off because it's
getting late. I'll be late posting my next blog entry
too because I won't be home this weekend. More
about that next time.

Thanks for dropping by. Cheers!!