Oh my, it's 2009 already! O.o
Excuses are plenty, time isn't, but I guess you have guessed that I have been slaving at work until yesterday (and had a killer migraine just to spice things up).
Yesterday I got my new baby, and to my shock I kind of like the visual look of Vista - but it's functionality isn't very intuitive - maybe because it reminds me so much of Linux and Macs.
Still, only bad thing I have to say about my new baby is that it came with a preinstalled OS... I would have rather had a backup on a disk.
So, you probably have guessed that I have sat and configured Baby since yesterday (though I went to hairdresser earlier today as it's Friday soon!) and there is still loads of work to do with this (after those six long hours of Vista updates and bug fixes - and today there was a BIOS update. Updates never end..). Holidays came and went, and my old HP has loads of pictures waiting to be uploaded (and transferred to Baby HP)(one of the cats gave us a good scare in form of health issues and I am trying to get through to vet's office to get her results while blogging (ETA: due all the holidays her results won't be ready until tomorrow)). Anyway, this is quite much about it now... a friends only entry will follow soon as I want to rant a bit...
My new Love
Don't tell Him, but I fell in love today...
 
Kawaii! ^^ - and I know how to spend 67€/ month for next 11 months. (My excuse is that I have been thinking of buying a new laptop for a while as my HP's touchpad isn't as good as it used to be, which bothers me tremendously when I design.)
Advantages of being sick
I haven been stitching, not much, but that is much more than I have managed lately. Those antibiotics are bad for my stitching though as they make me tired and I can't concentrate on anything after I take my daily pill.
And, I surprised myself yesterday and spent some lovely hours with my designing software - and actually designed few things, couple of them got finished yesterday and some are still waiting for some fine tuning.
I have to say that I am very pleased with the big design I finished yesterday, I have actually already been looking for the right floss (I need something "desert-y". burmt umbra, burnt orange, muted...) for it, but I guess it is one of those cases which require lucky accidents. (ETA: 12-Grain, Colonial Copper, Just Rust) Otherwise life is going on: I am getting better and cats are enjoying extra company (my sister came here yesterday, which means that there is 10 cats now in this two bedrooms apartment ).
Yup, I am insane...
...but I guess that wasn't a surprise to anyone?
My mother mentioned that one of my brother's kids would love to have their own "copy" of The Panda and as I also heard that my brother has the Panda with him I apparently gave up and have since been thinking "Maybe I could do again it anyway...".
Though if I do I will surely tweak the design somewhat to look more like a panda and be more pleasant to my eyes. On the other news I finally paid the first part of Stitching Weekend, bought some snowman stash from 1-2-3 Stitch! for the Frosty Friends exchange and realised today that I need some pink fabric for one model... so, I also placed an order at Silkweaver.
It seems that you always lack some stash, no matter how hard you try... 
Alive, sick and waiting for January
I have suffered from mild URI from last week and being work-a-holic I have been working as I had no fever. Few days ago I jokingly said to one of my co-workers that I will surely get sick when I have my days off...
Well, unfortunately that was true and yesterday morning I went to see a doctor as I was coughing quite badly.
Result of that visit was sick leave to 22nd for viral upper and lower respiratory infections and course of antibiotics because I am asthmatic and in greater risk to catch bacterial infection, and because I was already coughing yellow sputum (sign of bacterial infection). Getting suitable antibiotics was a quest itself: it took half an hour for the pharmacist and my doctor to find suitable one for me because of my allergies... So, finally I have some time for finer things of life, but not the energy because those antibiotics make me sleepy. Anyway, I am glad to announce you that I will be off from 9th to 12th (rather 13th as I come back late) of January because I go to Malaga to see Mr.Wonderful.  Yes, only for a weekend, but we thought it's better than not seeing at all for G-d knows how long period.
It's my day off and time for...
...some more stashy goodness!
  
I guess I have moseynmeitis too... I remember how few years ago I didn't like any of their designs! There are still some, but oddly I have acquired few of their designs... and stitched two. (I guess it should be The House on Addict Street...  )   
Dragon Dreams is always Dragon Dreams, nothing to add to that.   
That Passione Ricamo is OOP and in normal case I would have had to pay appr. $15 for it... I happened to get it for $3.26! (I wouldn't have bought it in its "normal" price.)
When it comes to Man into a Credit Card... do I need to even tell you why I needed it?!   
I guess I have to add Patricia Andrle into that evergrowing list of My Favourite Designers as I just had to get Galleon and Sea Monsters even it wasn't exactly on the cheap side... When it comes to cross stitch designs in general I think I should add to my wishlist "anything from Isabelle Vautier". There seems to be only few of her designs which I don't simply adore... She has really unique style and I am sure I would love to stitch quite many of her creations. Just in case I haven't saved this one yet... "The search for truth is more precious than its possession."
-- Albert Einstein
Stitching retreat, here I come!
I went to Violarium's site just to buy some floss for the final part of the Birthday Thread Exchange (because I didn't have anything suitable - yeah, right) and after I had finished shopping I noticed little link in the sidebar, it said Stitching Weekend and I got curious...
Leena is organizing a stitchy weekend next March in Northern Finland with a finishing workshop (materials are included with the price) and, of course, with a possibility to buy some new stash! Not to forget the fact that we have a cook and whole weekend for just stitching and gossiping! And I finally have the possibility to meet Leena as even we live in the same country we have never met before.  I think it is 190 € (+ 72 € for train tickets) well spent (money wise it means working one "extra" Sunday, so it's relatively cheap (admittedly my tax percentage rises in coming year, but stll)). As we are talking about Violarium here, just look at these pretties: Séduction & Trésor d'Automne.
Trésor d'Automne is actually what I have had in mind regarding the colour scheme of one design, but I didn't know about this particular colour before today. One worry less.
I think I have theprairieschooleritis too
  
Both Two by Twos are from 1-2-3 Stitch! and Punch & Judy is bought one of my trusted sellers from eBay. 
Some more santas... it seems that I just have to get the whole series. I had never even heard of the Prairie Fairies before I accidentally stumbled on them at eBay...  
It is a serious illness, folks...
... and it is called teresawentzleritis.
"It is interesting how in some relationships certain things don't feel like burden or cause any significant distress, for examle distance.
We don't know exactly when we will see each other again (it depends on Mr. Wonderful's boss actually: he wants to have some time off when I go there and has made a request to his boss - who then told him to make the request in written form... sounds like a nice guy (I was told that nobody likes him much)) and we have one continent between us, but we manage. There isn't any drama on the issue and we keep on talking of the day when we meet again like it was tomorrow.
We miss each other, but we aren't pining because we know that we will meet again and as soon as possible noticing that we both have full-time jobs and bills to pay. And there is that odd certainty of future together and all the things which follow. I have actually noticed feeling so sure about all that I have started eyeing (and buying!) children's designs... and I can't help it that sometimes my mind slips into thinking him as my husband and not just a SO.  Sometimes I wonder am I just insane or exorcising bad spirits by thinking so and doing the things I do, but on the other hand I know that I must seize the day - after enough rain sun is bound to shine, maybe it really is my time to experience some sunshine after everything that has happened in last few years. Don't get me wrong, I would rather have him here than far away from me and I would rather have him living in same country with me so we could have normal courting period, but facts are what they are and we just try to make the best we can from them - and on the other hand I think that distance is good for us for one reason: we are both impulsive when it comes to matters of the heart so we would probably have ended up living together already without having enough time to discuss about future and us." Stash blogging: The Beginning
I know I should be sleeping, but... for some reason I am not too attracted to that idea, so it's time for some stashy pictures.
I am not too fond of Mirabilia's seasonal/ festive fairies (firstly I am not very firm believer of the goodness of limited editions and secondly they just seem to lack some zest), but when I saw this one I knew I had to find it, no matter how much I had to pay for it! 
Google told me that it was published in September issue of Cross Stitch & Needlework and I only needed to find it from somewhere: luckily Nordic Needle had it! She is a beauty and I hope I actually have time someday to stitch her.
For Linda: feline behinds
Isn't she small?
Signs of life
I have been wondering for few days what has gone wrong with the world: all the sudden it seems to me that news are even worse than before and that individuals go crazy in their personal lives.
Firstly there is the person from the auction site, then I heard day before yesterday that Dan's and his SO have break up and she took their daughter with her and claims that Dan has been giving medication to the kid - he may be odd and even stupid sometimes, but he is not that stupid (I lived with him almost six years, I can tell). Luckily there are good things coming through too (and Mr. Wonderful has been behaving very well - as usual), so my confusion levels stay relatively tolerable, but still... Is it in the Moon or is there spots in the Sun? At least I may have found a job for my brother - taking that he emails to our area manager. I didn't have two days off as store manager called me in Friday and asked could I come to work... and to work I went. I was working whole weekend and my first day off this week may be tomorrow, or may not, it really depends. One thing is certain: I will have day off in Saturday as it's Independence Day. I have noticed interesting thing though: it seems that my grocery bill will get smaller. Not because I get discount (5% is not much), but because I simply don't have time or energy to eat as often as I should. On the bright side I also eat much less sugary stuff, which has to be good thing. Few wishlist additions... Well, I was looking for a design for Frosty Friends exchange (oh yes, yet another exchange) and made few notes while at it (I found the design, and the hand-dyed I want to use, but I won't probably order them before 15th - or before I have paid all my eBay purchases (shop-a-holic, me?!)): So, all is well in my neck of the woods, I am just busy as heck.
Exchange goodies and belated birthday gift ^^
I actually received Cathy's exchange some time ago, but it has been insane at work so it took this long for me to post pictures for you to admire...
Cathy stitched me gorgeous pinkeep using a design on my wishlist and she made it even more perfect as the colours match the pinkeep I received in Here's to Ewe!
She also added some lovely goodies so I was really pampered to bits! Thank you Cathy! With stitching friends you can have your birthday more than once every year For aforementioned reason I haven't blogged about belated birthday gift I got from Leena either... Leena stitched me cute little Halloweeny ornaments and sent me magazine where the designs are from and skein of Pomme de Pin hand-dyed, which is completely new brand to me (the colour is much better in person, flash just does things to colours) and looks absolutely yummy. 
Thank you Leena! Life in general There has been annoyance and good things in my life lately, but just to end this entry with positive things a little rant: I sold some stuff at local auction site in last month and one of the winners has been a nuisance... I sent her win to her about three weeks ago and accidentally found out that she had complaints about the postages (which she accepted and paid when requested) - her claim is that she paid more than the postage was (she should try eBay some day: that is SO common). Accidentally because she had left, excuse my French, paranoia filled rant in my feedback (and of course she gave me negative) without trying to contact me in ANY way before that (she knew my email, of course). Of course I got annoyed and left her negative feedback in return just because she obviously is not a good customer even though she paid quickly... after this she started to harass me in quite threatening way and sent me an SMS threatening to come behind my door (she lives on the other side of the country...) if I don't answer to her call right now...
I sent her courteously chilly SMS that she should read her email and that I do not answer to personal calls while I am at work (it's very common for people to be at work around 8:30 in the morning).  At the moment I am intentionally communicating slowly with her through email trying to help her to see the plain stupidity of her claim: if she had contacted me right after she got the item and asked me for a refund I would have said yes without thinking twice, but after coping with her ignorance, plain stupidity, harassment and obvious lack of sense of reality I am not very fond of the idea. Eventually I may refund her as a charitable action (if her finances depend on those three euros she needs charity!), but she will never get the other things she wants from me: positive feedback. Why would I give to her? She's real pain in my behind and I don't want that anyone else has to suffer from her...  On brighter side of things: I have lately begun to receive my purchases from eBay so I have had lovely stash filled days and pile of new and new/ used stuff waiting for to be blogged about. But, great things last: first of all I have two whole days off starting tomorrow!
Secondly I have been praised today by our area manager and SALO (our branch's quality control/ improvement and work effectivity program) trainer, which feels good for several reasons. ^^ But now I must run: I just got an email from Mr. Wonderful. ^^
Actually I am alive and well, but...
... lately I have just spent all my days at work or sleeping and have barely had energy to do anything in addition of working because of the anaphylaxis and the cortisone treatment.
Luckily the symptoms have vanished (mostly, at least) and I have noticed an interesting additional benefit of high dose of cortisone: my leg hairs haven't been growing since I started the medication.
Admittedly I know that I am just asking for trouble by working this much and sacrificing my days off when I am asked to come to work: my plan is to actually have next two days off I have in the end of coming week - I need to as I am planning to get influenza vaccination and I may get slight cold from it and it's better that I am off when the side effects strike.
But, on the other hand I know why I am so willing to be the one who saves the day by coming to work when needed: it's not that much about the money, but about not having to be at home when Mr. Wonderful is not here as more or less surprisingly I find it quite confusing not to have him here close to me at all times. What makes it even more difficult is that because of the news he received when he arrived back to Europe we won't probably see before I go there (hopefully in the beginning of January) as at the moment he just simply can't take that time off. (Which makes the situation probably even more stressfull for both of us as we miss each other and I know that he would need me there more than usual at this moment. If we could spend some time together he would have a possibility to forget about his stress for a minute, relax a bit and concentrate on finer things of life: us.)
So, it's easier for me to spend my days working as I can distract myself and concentrate on customers and my duties - and of course being paid for it is an additional bonus (it pays my newly found eBay addiction (which probably is partially caused by missing Mr. W. - though admittedly I have been justifying postages and bid on things I might sell on a local auction site ($1 leaflets/ booklets will very likely pay themselves back through there) and some items for couple of friends)). But, as we always remind each other: there will be a day when this phase passes and we are together on daily basis. And that day is worth waiting for. And something completely diferent... I have lost my eBay seller virginity and placed few mags on sale just out of curiosity: More stitchy content coming to a blog near you one of these days... hopefully tomorrow.
eBay, the source of all evil - and wonderful new stash!
My Noah's Ark arrived last week in pristine condition from the seller and about two days after that I received some more Out-Of-Print Teresa Wentzlers from another eBay seller - two of three designs are such I wasn't even aware of!
  
Those formerly-unbeknownst-to-me designs were "Peaceable Kingdom" and "Diamonds in Squares" (not OOP, but I have never seen it anywhere), "Treetop Sampler" wasn't that high on my wish list, but as the same seller who had PK and DiS had it I bid for it and got it (I think that is called "justifying the postages"). Choking Well, I still have some of it, but it's getting easier to cope with - it only happens about once a day and I don't need the bronchodilator to release my larynx anymore. (Though I also suspect that some bad news Mr. Wonderful told me today may have affected negatively to my condition (nothing to do with us, in theory (it will probably affect to our plans for the future though), but the da**ed global financial crisis), but knowing how devastated he is at this moment I am not telling him that, he has enough on his mind already.)
One down, one less to use
Well, it seems that that "nothing" was actually an allergic reaction to doxicyclin (an antibiotic I was prescribed for my bronchitis) as I feel lots better after only one dose (40mg) of cortisone prescribed to me by a nice doctor at private clinic (and employer pays  ).
They say that allergy for several antibiotics (in my case two: penicillin and doxicyclin) is very, very rare condition, but oddly enough I am not only person in my family allergic to at least two different kind antibiotics. Maybe we are slightly odd then. At least one thing is for sure: I will sleep like a baby next two weeks, because of that course of cortisone. (Taking that the reaction actually becomes milder within 24 hours, otherwise I have to run back to the clinic.)
Learning to be reasonable
I realised yesterday that it is not reasonable from me to stress about the ornament set I have been model stitching for quite some time with an intention to get them published this year. Even though my goal was to get them out this year so much have happened since I started stitching them that I simply have to accept the fact that I am not a machine, only a human.
There's always next year and good things are worth waiting for (and they are, even I say so, gorgeous). This decision has freed me to think of the designs of next year and I know what I am going to model stitch next: a cute Valentine's Day design which I have wanted to stitch since I designed it - all three versions of it. I want to know what's wrong with me! My health issues continue and current ones are rather scary... I almost choked this morning when coughing, twice, and because of this I went to ER. Like that had been a good idea, quite contrary: the doctor honestly said to me that she has not idea nor means to check what's wrong with me (that is a hospital, for Pete's sake!) so she prescribed antibiotics and stronger asthma medication for me - no use, it's Father's Day and I couldn't find a pharmacy which had been open.
I decided to go to my mother's, just in case I get another choking attack and bronchodilator isn't helpful - as it is quite difficult to call an ambulance when you can't breathe. When I came here I took some terbutaline, which used to cause nasty twitching, and to my surprise I feel quite fine now (I do still cough, but for now my larynx has been behaving) - I just hope this continues and I don't need to have another panic attack in the morning because I simply can't breathe... Regardless, I am going to book a doctor's appointment through my employer's health care plan (private sector has the fun side that they do have interest towards you because you, or in this case your employer, pay good money for them). OOPitis i.e. how I ended up shopping at eBay
I was chatting with Linda today and she happened to mention Teresa Wentzler's "Noah's Ark" and how she would love to have it some day even it is OOP (Out Of Print). I recalled adoring that same design in someone's blog and thought that I would like to find the design.
Well, just after we had ended our little gossip moment I decided to google the design, just out of curiosity, and found this as Buy Now.
I think I don't even need to ask you to guess did I buy it or not. I also found this link through Google and I think many of us TW addicts will find it useful: Teresa Wentzler Design List
Cross posting: This the Season to Be Jolly
The Gift of Stitching's ornament number was published earlier than normal this year and I can't say anything else, but WOW!
It is filled with beautiful designs from several designers one of them being Frosty Pinecones from Periphaeria Designs!
I have loved the design since I designed it ages ago and when I was looking for ornament design for TGOS' ornament issue it was an obvious choice.
The design style is generally very traditionally Slavic (the name comes from the "pinecone" motif within the whole design), but I wanted to give it a special twist and make it suitable also for those stitchers who don't live in Northern Hemisphere and decided to go with shades of raspberry and rose to make an example of how varying the design is. It was originally planned to be stitched with only one colour, but my household gnomes hid not one, but two skeins while I was model stitching the design and it ended to have three colours - very succesfully, if you ask my opinion. :)
The design can, of course, be stitched with just one colour or three colours of your own preference. Feel free to play with the colours and I hope you enjoy stitching the design! I did. (Originally posted to Tales from Periphaeria.)
Shiny... my preciousssssssss!
Well, my excuse is that I was shopping for a gift for ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bits_2_whole... you know how it goes with international shipping... So, I bought two rings for myself:
 
And after that I had some pleasant window shopping... Ooh, pretty: Nepali Sterling Jali Mandala Necklace and Nepali Sterling & Lapis Mandala Earrings! And more... Oh my, I am afraid that I am getting all girly. O_oHappy Samhain i.e. suitable seasonal exchanges
I have heard that my Halloween ornament has been received by Amaali in Malaysia and my Pumpkin Patch item has been received by Tuula so it is time for some stitchy content.
Tidbits:
Tidbits: Either picture isn't too bad because they have been taken in evening and during this season that means using flash and not so good pictures.
Didn't I say something?
I saw a doctor in Monday... In his opinion there was nothing in wrong with me (despite my erratic breathing and high fever), but the doctor ordered some basic blood tests.
I called my results in Tuesday and even though my CRP was completely normal (keep this in mind for the rest of this entry) my white cell count and other infection indicator were up so the nurse thought that it might be an idea if a doctor calls me.
She called and because of my blood test results she wanted to listen my lungs and take my peak flow before prescribing anything.
So, in Wednesday morning I booked an acute appointment and despite my peak flow being 600l/ min (my normal is nowadays 650l/min) my lungs sang the song of infection which lead to a course of antibiotics and sick leave until 3rd of November (that is the last day off) because I have... bronchitis. So, when I am one step from pneumonia my CRP is completely normal. This is another oddity that runs in the family: my mother has the same interesting feature in her body (though it can be caused by asthma medication as cortisone is anti-inflammatory drug) and I am sure I will have some fun times in future because of this... Anyway, 11 days after I first noticed being sick my fever is finally getting lower, albeit slowly. Today (or yesterday actually, but my circadian rhythm has suffered a bit from the medication as it (in addition to coughing my lungs out) makes me sleeeeeeeeepy) I haver actually felt almost alive again...
Happy dance!
I am surprised to be on time with my Pumpkin Patch exchange item despite of being sick for the last week.
But that is about the only thing to do happy dance for: I have had fever for six days now. I went to ER yesterday where they did a quick check of my CPR and fever: CPR normal, fever 37,4° C which is a lot for me.
"Go home and see your doctor in Monday if you still have fever." I feel worse than I have felt during last week and my symptoms are getting more interesting and much more taxing. I am also quite sure that I will get coming week off too in form of sick leave...
There are reasons why I am a bit worried: my asthma, I have genetic tendency to have feverless pneumonia, my menses are almost week late when being sick has never affected to my cycle (no, I am not pregnant (I've tested)  ) and I have never had fever this long... And I kind of miss work already. So, I will probably spend good part of my day off tomorrow by being examined and waiting... and I am prepared to demand a course of antibiotics, no matter what the doctor says. I just want to get better.
Rose Sampler WIP
I had some extra energy in Thursday and I worked with Rose Sampler (I also learned how to stitch when laying on my side in bed ).
That light green isn't s yellow as it seems to be in the picture and I need to figure out something to fill out the gap between the roses and the top of the frame. Few additions....
|
