Crazy January Challenge Day 9

This is the beginning of Red Dragon Bookmark from Dracolair Designs.  It's small enough that I don't have a reason not to finish it before the end of  the year.

Humming Along

The corner keeps getting more and more crowded with stitches.  That's progress, right?

Crazy January Challenge Day 8

No butterflies on this yet, but there's a goodly portion of sky now.

Basketwoven

I'm finally done with another of my Crazy January Challenges from 2011!  It's Gabriella by Liberty of London, and it's done, done, done.  Yay!

Still No Butterfly

My sky's gotten bigger, though.  Maybe I can work on it more this week.

All But One

Finally, all but one corner done.  I'm almost done with all the bordering!

Crazy January Challenge Day 7

It's the beginning of my Snowflake Tree by Alexandra Adelaide.  It is in the most recent Just Cross Stitch magazine.  I think it'll turn out very pretty.

Gifts From Mom

 Mom got me these beautiful earrings and the necklace set for me for Christmas.  They're wonderful.  Thank you, Mom!

Roofing It

All on the roof this time.  Grey to break up the green and peach.

Still On The Border

I'm -almost- done with the top border so I can go on to something different.

Crazy January Challenge Day 6

Still no angel here, but at least the top row is done.  Maybe I'll be able to pull it out of the UFO cubby this year and finish it.  It's Patriotic Angel from Dimensions Gold.

Arched

I've finished one more arch on the corner.  Now to get the top done.

Little Leaves

I've started the larger flowers on the left.  Now to finish them.

Crazy January Challenge Day 5

This is the beginning of Turple, from Needle Delights Originals.  It's part of the Double Delights series, which Fireside Stitchery has kindly put into a monthly club - which I subscribed to.  Turple's the first.  I love the colors and like the design, too.

Outer Edge

This week was filling in a bit of the house on the far right bottom.  It's more substantial now.  Also filled in some in the middle building too.

Mostly There

I am mostly done with this piece's background now.  Just have the bottom bits to fill in.  I'll be so happy when this is done!

Crazy January Challenge Day 4

I started Checkered Liberty last January and then didn't take it out of the drawer again all year.  It's back on the list this year because I really want to finish it.  Hopefully, I will.

Crazy January Challenge Day 3

XOctagon 10 is off to a good start; the outer border is all done.  This is part of a series from Kick Back and Stitch.  Fireside Stitchery put together a bunch of them in monthly kits, and I have several floating around.  Another's going to get done.

Beary Tea Light

It's a cute little bear tea light from Mirella and Valentin.  Thank you!

Two And A Half

Two and a half sides done on the outer border.  I had a problem with some of the inner squares being one stitch too big, so had to fix them.

Crazy January Challenge Day 2

I decided to put something I am committed to finishing soon on the challenge for my first "old" piece.  It's HAED's Oriental Courage, and I only have about forty rows to go.  It's so close I try to work on it a bit more often than other things.  All that's left is background.

Gifts From Betsy And Mike

 My parents in law have given me a lot of stash for Christmas!  Here's a picture of all the stitching goodness.  Thank you!

Where The Sidewalk Continues

Worked a bit on the sidewalk and more leaves.

Crazy January Challenge Day 1

I've joined the Crazy January Challenge again this year, but I'm doing it a little differently.  Instead of a new start every day, I'll be starting something new every other day and working on a UFO alternating days.  This is my first new start.  It's Bluebonnet Bloom by Redbird Designs.  I changed the background fabric.  The chart was a gift from Betsy.

B Or Not

The B is taking shape.  I think it looks more like cyrillic at the moment, though.

Both Sides Done

I finished both sides of the Fandangle.  All that's left is putting it together into a dangly ornament.  The kit was from Nordic Needle.

First Time To Spice Club

 Spice Club is a fairly new Sri Lankan restaurant here in Chisinau. A couple of Fridays ago, the usual Friday crowd decided to check it out.  My first impression of the drinks was "weird".  I ordered a mojito, in my quest to find the best, and they gave me one that used creme de menthe!  It was not really a mojito at all, so this one isn't going to be in the top tier for that.

The food was much, much better.  First up were a salad and fried cheese ordered by Andreas.  The salad had very little lettuce - just the way Andreas likes it.  The cheese needed something to dip it in.  

 Veggie spring rolls were crispy, light and delicious.  Not sure what the balsamic glaze over them was about, though.  I'm not sure what the appetizer below that was.

 The chicken curry was spicy for Moldova, and you could have plain white or fried rice with it.  Everyone who had it said it was good.  The rest of us had cashew chicken with various sides.  Megan had the glass noodles and black mushrooms; I had grilled veggies.  We all agreed it was good, but Andreas' only had two cashews and mine was a bit salty.

 Regan's banana dessert.  It looked really good, and their presentation was wonderful.  Two of us tried their "hot chocolate" and a couple of us had cappucinos.  The chocolate was the consistency of hot pudding and had various flavors.  The cappucino was good.  Overall, the restaurant is one we will go back to.  It's also really inexpensive!

Creative Interpretation

 The Rogerses gave us this pair of art dolls for Christmas.  They picked the woman first because she's got yarn all over, and then the man for her husband.  They're supposed to represent, symbolically, Andreas and myself.  I didn't know Andreas was so hairy!  They're not supposed to look like us, I was told.  The dolls were made by an artist here in Moldova.  They're cute!  Thank you Heather, Chris, Kathryn, Joshua, and Courtney!

Pole To Pole

I decided to work on a pole to pole design, and this is the beginning.

Starting The Climb

I've started climbing up the left side now, balancing things out.

A Neat Beading Site

I don't normally send people to sites, but I figured there are some beaders who read my blog, and I've been fascinated by all the spiffy beading projects I've been seeing at biserok.org.  It's a Russian language site that has a LOT of beading going on.  Check it out if you're interested.  And remember, google translate is your friend.

Cracker From Sarma

 Here's the cracker I received from Sarma, full of goodies.  Thank you Sarma!

A New Kiku

 I decided to try a staggered kiku.  Here it is with most of the top half done.

One More Ornament

 I finished Renoir from Kick Back and Stitch into an ornament.  Andreas insisted I keep it, so this one stays at home.