Probably...

I don't have a lot to say about this one, but I thought it was cute.  Patten is by BananyaStand on Etsy.

It WILL be fine once I can jump into this...

It's still a little cool for swimming, but this is my parents' pool.  They have had a pool (This one is newer, because you have to replace above-grounds every few years) for the past 9 years or so, and it's always so nice to float in there with them, chat, and have a couple of drinks.  I can't wait for pool days this year!  It's one of the things I was really looking forward to when we figured out we were moving here temporarily.  My dad built the deck around it and so there are places to sit and my mom likes to lay out in the sun so she has some lounge chairs she's going to put there.  She's also gonna put an umbrella up so there is more shade.  They really know how to elevate the above-ground pool.  

TOmorrow, I'm supposed to go get Anan and then go to the Polk County Pagan Market.  One of those things will probably not happen... guess which one.  

That's all for now!

True Crime Junkie

 After my Stay Joyful pattern, I was at a loss at which pattern to start next.  I started one and decided I didn't wanna, so I'm not gonna for now.  So I put it aside and looked through the hoard I have and found this one by LevelThreaded on Etsy.  I am a True Crime junkie.  I call it "Murder Porn", which probably isn't the best way to refer to it, but oh well.  

I have always been interested in true crime, even before it became huge with the ID channel and podcasts.  I read true crime books like crazy an amassed quite a collection of anthologies about true crime.  I do not have the library I used to have (the ex kept it, and it was worth it to get rid of him), but I can now watch it whenever I want to on streaming platforms and I have a few podcasts I love to listen to, but my favorite thing is to watch it while cross stitching.  So this was perfect!  I actually finished it on my lunch break today.

We have been working on the outside here.  All of our stuff was haphazardly thrown onto the platforms in the carport, but Allen and I have been working on cleaning up, putting shelves together, and making it look nicer.  Today I think we're working on it some more and I want to clean the patio so I can create a magical space there again.  Most of my faerie garden stuff is in storage, but I can still make it a nice little witchy spot.  It'll be nice to sit out there, have a beer, and just be outside.  It's so beautiful here, especially in the spring.  The few weeks of spring we get before it's summer in fucking April, that is... 

It's a Meh Time for sure...

I finished this piece at the hotel when I was in Round Rock... whenever it was.  Gosh, time is weird... was it last week?  Week before?  My mom loves it and wanted to know if I could do one for her in the same colors.  So I'm gonna frame this one up for her and she can have it!  I was just gonna put it in a portfolio anyway.  It really meant a lot to me that she liked it so much.  Pattern by The Gloomy Gremlin.

I didn't post pics of the house after the painters finished.  Wow... it's unrecognizable.  It looks really nice.  I will REALLY miss this place. It was so amazing.  I wish we could just take it with us to Colorado.  But that's not reality :(  And now I'm sad.

Allen told them not to paint the kitchen.  I think that's my fault... I said I didn't want it painted and then changed my mind but may not have been really clear.  I didn't want them to paint the cabinets.  But that's okay.  The kitchen color is so nice.  It looks a lot brighter in the pics, but it's really a paler blue.  I painted it myself in 2021, I think, when Allen was out of town for business. I also painted the cabinets from their blehh brown to this nice grey color.  

This was our "den" area.  It was my office for almost a  year and then I went back into the office to work.  It became the craft area when I got another work-from-home job.  I had a hard time concentrating with that as my office, because I couldn't close myself off and I am easily distracted, so Allen gave me his office and we converted the other guest room into an office for him.  He's the best. 

And this was our bedroom.  It's bigger than it looks and had two windows on that wall.  This is a beautiful home and I hope the new owners love it as much as we did. 

Stay Fucking Joyful

Things in our country are rough.  There is so much arguing and hate being slung around.  I have been really good about ignoring it and not watching the news, despite one of my friends who is constantly sending me links and inundating my messages with YouTube videos of people spouting opinions like they're facts and news.  "They're canceling elections!"  shit like that... makes it hard to protect one's peace and find the joy in everyday life.  

Julie Jackson over there at Subversive Cross Stitch releases patterns sometimes that feel like they are directed straight at me.  I know that's not the case- we don't know each other!  But I saw this one and found lots of joy stitching it up!

It can be hard to stay joyful, but we have to try.  xo

I started watching I Love the 90s, the VH1 series they made in the early 2000s. It’s okay. A lot of it is making fun of the 90s, or making jokes about stuff. They’re stupid jokes but also kind of funny. I really want to watch more of The Dark Side of the 90s, but that’s more for the weekends, I think, when we can binge a few episodes.

I’m kind of missing my Austin area peeps. It was nice to be able to hang out with witchy friends or just go to dinner with friends. Out here I don’t really have that. It’s not making me sad or anything, because I’m not a super social person, but it’s something I really do miss. When we have more Fridays free, I’ll probably go with my parents to Karaoke more often so that will let me get out more. There aren’t a lot of places for us to go that are vegan out here, so Allen and I don’t really go out much, and again, it’s okay, but I am missing having that to do now and then. Allen wants to dress up and go out soon but I don’t really know where we can go. Maybe we can do that on a Saturday night and find a place in Houston.  We shall see!

 

The Witchy Stitcher Cryptid Stitch-Along: The Kraken

 I finished another one from The Witchy Stitcher's Cryptid Stitch-along.  These little guys stitch up so fast!

I think most are familiar with The Kraken. My favorite rum is named after The Kraken…it is a colossal legendary sea monster said to dwell off the coasts of Norway and Greenland.  Sightings date back to the 12^th century.  Thought to be the scariest, most feared sea beast ever to inhabit our planet’s waters, the Kraken was said to be more than 100 feet long and weighed 4000 lbs. Tales of these creatures describe them as being giant cephalopods (like octopi) having giant tentacles that would envelope and capsize ships.  As the ships would sink to their demise, the beast was said to eat those on board or let them drown in the ship’s wake.  Studies by various sources deem it possible that the Kraken could have been early sightings of a colossal squid. - The Witchy Stitcher, Cryptid Wiki, The Conversation

How cute is this guy??

The painters have finished the house and it looks amazing! I had some great time off last week.  I went to Round Rock and stayed in a hotel for a few nights, and got some stuff done.  I got to hang out with friends and eat all the good food.  I ran the handfasting I wrote for Anja by her and John and got approval, and then grabbed Taco Bell and headed home!  It was nice to come back to my little husband.  I missed him!

Love Potion

I have had this pattern for a while.  It's by Haunted Frames.  I don't know why I was so intimidated by it, and then I started stitching it up and it's not really hard... I just kept messing it up.  I think the outline for some reason was tripping me up and I still think I may have messed it up.  The lighter pink thread that I have must be old or just not a very good quality (although it is DMC and I never have issues with their thread), because it kept snagging and fraying.  I finally finished this one, though.  It's on glittery aida, but I don't think it really picked up the sparkle in the picture.  

I bought this blue aida years ago and have barely used it.  I love the color but didn't really know what I wanted to use it for.  Then I was inspired.  I love this color combo.  The pattern is by CryBabyCrossStitch on Etsy.  I LOVE LOVE her patterns and have several in my dragon hoard of cross stitch patterns.

Right now, I don't have anywhere to put my finished pieces.  I thought about framing them all and putting them in some boxes.  I also thought about photographing them all.  Then I thought... I have all of these unfinished pieces I need to do something with and many of them will not fit into a frame.  Then it dawned on me... I need to get an art portfolio and that way I can put these in and they will be safe until I can frame them!  I just need to find one I like... 

Poop and Painting

Well, it's March.  This year has gone by kind of fast in spite of the horrors!  

We are finally all moved out and we cleaned the house and painted the first coat on the walls.  It looks HORRIBLE... so we thought maybe another coat of primer and then paint.  Allen put some more primer on, and then we went to paint over that... it still looks like shit.  UGH.  Frustrated, we decided to get an estimate on house painters and we are going forward with that.  One of us will have to be there to let them in, but that's okay.  I feel like we have already sunk so much money into this move, and we wasted time and paint and money but... what else are we gonna do??  So that really lifted some stress off of me and Allen.

So, I'm taking some time off next week after we get the painters scheduled.  I'll go to Hutto, spend some time with friends, and then let the painters in and lock up after they're gone.  Then I can do some other stuff out there that needs to be done and come home Saturday.  I'm looking forward to hotel time and time with friends!!

I am super proud of myself- I got all my health stuff scheduled today! Dentist later this month, mammogram in April on a day I already took off, and then doctor in June. I'm glad I got that all taken care of because I didn't want to keep putting it off and then eventually wait too late.

I have been pretty good about keeping up on my Stitch-A-Day project.  I did something to my wrist and it hurt to stitch for about a week and so I had to to some mad catching up.  

I made one of these long ago for the bathroom at our house in Hutto, but I really like this simpler design, so I stitched it up for the bathroom here in Coldspring.  When I leave, it shall be my gift to the house!  This pattern is from EmbroideryByZeze on Etsy.

We Will Serve The Lord of the Rings

 Monday Monday...

I started working on this a couple of weeks ago, I think, but my wrist started hurting randomly and it hurt to cross stitch anything so I had to take a break and let me tell you how I was Jonesin' for doing something crafty... so I did diamond painting for a little while.  It didn't bother my wrist as much.  

But I got back on it and finished this lovely this past weekend!  I can't wait to frame this and put it in our new house when we get one!  Pattern is from TinyCatPatterns on Etsy.