Zoooommmmm

That is the sound of my week off going by. It wasn't a vacation in the usual sense as we didn't go anywhere and I spent most of it getting things done around the house so that it's ready to be closed back up for the winter, but it was a good week.  I had quite a list of things to get done and finished all but one (needed different parts to fix the couch and are waiting for them to be delivered) by yesterday. One of the main reasons I was able to get so much done is that my computer was having issues.  Took it in to our friendly big box electronics store and they said it sounded like a software issue (The Hubs was sure it was the hard drive). We think my computer just doesn't play well with some part of Windows 10. Fortunately, I was within the "put back the old version" month and things seem to be running just fine.  Of course, I've spent way too much time reading blogs, surfing and just generally wasting time the last couple of days (so much for finishing early).

One of my favorite projects was finally doing something about the light in the dining area. 

This was taken after I had removed the bottom globe and I didn't feel like putting it back on for the photo

We've been in this house for eight years and the entire time I had a like/hate relationship with this light.  I liked the general shape but hated the bright gold color. New lights were crazy expensive and since the shape was good it didn't make sense to replace it.  I finally found a paint color I liked and went to work.  After a bit of elbow grease to clean and scuff it up and most of a can of spray paint, it looks like this:

I am totally chuffed with how it turned out and the price (right around $10 USD for the steel wool and spray paint).

I did manage to sneak in a morning of sitting on the deck and reading in between all the other fixes and cleaning.  Oh and there was some stitching that took place. But before I talk about that, I have to show you this:

DSon sent me this and it just made me laugh (which will probably tell you a lot about me).

So back to talking about stitching.  I'll start with my SAL check-ins.  BUT before I do that, have you seen the post about the 2015 Sunday Mystery SAL happening over at Plum Street Samplers?  You can find out about it here.  Paulette is going to finish the twelve days of Christmas ornaments that she started in the 2011 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue.  It starts this Sunday and a new part will be available each Sunday until the week before Christmas.  Just because I am a sucker for anything Twelve Days and I don't have anything else to do (heavy sarcasm here) I spent a chunk of this afternoon pulling fibers and fabric and should be ready to start on Sunday.

And once I start, I'll have another piece to add to my  check-in.  Jo at Serendipitous Stitching is hosting this SAL as a way for us to say "thank you" to someone that gifted us with fabric, thread, or patterns or for a piece that we will be gifting to someone (because what better way to say thank you than to actually use the gift??).  My main piece for GG is Shakespearean Fantasy. The pattern was gifted to me by Pull the Other Thread last year.  I started it as my January start and have not spent as much time with it as I would have liked (I am organizing my rotation for next year now and will most likely add this piece as a part of the rotation rather than the sometimes every other Friday it is now).  So when you last saw it, I was busily stitching black, black and more black and it was here:

I sat down with The Fellowship of the Rings audio book (if you get a chance to hear Rob Inglis narrate, I highly recommend it) and stitched black, black and more black again and when I put it away, I was here:

I timed it and it takes me a bit less than 20 minutes to stitch one 10X10 square (including stopping and starting threads).  So another six hours or so and I should be finished with page 1. 

My next GG is The Sampler Life block for this month (Since the designer donated the piece to the SAL, I figure it's a gift).  It's Friendship in Bloom from Blue Ribbon Designs.  I am a bit further than this,

but forgot to take a picture before I put it away. I found that the block above is off by one but don't think it will be terribly noticeable when it's all done.

I did have one new start that isn't part of any SAL.  This is Just Nan's Florentine Floral

It is stitched on 28-count Violet Mist cashel with DMC fibers. Not a terribly difficult stitch, but it took three tries to get the outline to close correctly.

I also put a few stitches into Chatelaine's Secret Victorian Garden but didn't take a picture.

I am so far behind on my other SAL check-ins that I am just going to call a fail for them and go on, besides, this post is plenty long enough without adding the three four check-ins that I missed.