Incoherent Scribblings

Time Out for a Happy Dance!

Yes! Two days before my goal, I have completed “Girl’s Time Out” in 41 hours and 15 minutes. I don’t really have too much to say about her as I have talked about most all of the things I did with her already.

However, I will mention the last few changes that I made: First, you may notice her little doll has no hair. (It is on the floor beside the scissors.) In the diagram, the doll still has a bit of hair, but I decided it would make the “time out” more poignant if instead I stitched a little more hair beside the scissors and left the doll bald… Not that any of US ever gave our dolls hair cuts like that… Right?!
Second, originally the wall paper also had green areas to stitch beside the pink blocks to represent flower stems/leaves. Upon a little trial and error I left them out because 1.) these half stitches were scattered and I had a hard time tacking them down properly and not carrying them and 2.) in order for them to look like leaves some of the half stitches would have had to go in the opposite direction of my stitches and I thought that looked funny and like I had made mistakes. I decided that just pink “squares” on the wall paper looked good enough.

Third, I changed my signature. I have been thinking about putting my whole (first) name on my pieces instead of just my initials for a while actually and just decided it was time.

Finally, I have to say that I am really glad that I decided to stitch this on pink fabric instead of the recommended white. I think it looks so sweet this way. Granted, it is a lot of pink and I was worried that the shades would blend into the fabric, but instead I think they compliment it nicely.

As I said the other day, I have plans for this piece. I already have a framing idea for it and I think I will do it myself, so I guess in the next days I will be making a trip to my (in)famous craft store and ordering up a frame and a matte so that it can be sent to the intended recipient ASAP.

Cat on a Red Brick Roof

Dear Black and White Neighbor Kitty (henceforth named “Scout”),

I must say, you really made my day when I glanced out my living room window and saw your little black and white face poking up from the barn roof today.

Like most kitties you are very curious and this is not the first time I have seen you on top of the roof of the barn scouting out your territory.

No doubt you were investigating all of those noisy birds that are busy making their nests in the trees below and calculating how long it will be before those eggs are laid. As I am sure you know, the eggs themselves would make a tasty meal, but if you wait for them to hatch, those naked defenseless baby birds would be, by far, a more filling treat.

As I stood at my window attempting to take your picture, you appeared to get camera-shy and ducked away. But something told me you had not gone far and my patience was rewarded when you peeked up again after a few minutes.

Though you appeared to look directly at me so that I could take your picture, I imagine my three kitties that were also at the window with me were what caught your attention. And I must say that for the first time in weeks I was glad that I couldn’t go out on the balcony, because I probably would have scared you away like I did last time you were on the barn roof.

I hope you return in the future to brighten my days, but please, do be careful. Barn roofs are very tall and can be dangerous for even the most sure-footed kitty.

Your friend,
Renée, the blondelibrarian

The Meme of Four

Because I haven’t really found anything interesting to blog about lately, I shamelessly stole this from Lili’s blog:

Name four books on your bookshelf: (These are my four most used reference books and taken from my non-fiction bookshelf, which is closest to my desk. Yes, librarian that I am, not only are my books are divided into fiction and non-fiction I have enough for a bookshelf of each… We won’t even start on A.’s books.)
Harper Collin’s Unabridged German-English Dictionary
The All New Joy of Cooking
Using HTML 4 – Special Edition
Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature

Name four DVDs in your collection: (These are the last four that I watched)
Labyrinth
The Lost Boys
Legally Blonde
Carlito’s Way

Name four things on your walls:
A plethora of my cross stitch pieces
A wall quilt that my mom made for me
An atomic clock
Pictures of my niece

Name four things in your wardrobe:
Baby doll T-shirts
Sweat Shirts
Jeans
Birkenstocks

Name four artists in your music collection:
Van Halen
Pink Floyd
Megadeth
Kenny Wayne Sheperd Band

Name four real life stores you shop at regularly:
Hertie (big, ritzy department store)
“Super” Wal-Mart
dm (health and beauty aids store)
Idee (craft store)

Name four things in your bag:
Book (Meridon, by Phillipa Gregory)
Wallet
Umbrella
Keys

Model Stitching

I suppose at some point those of us that cross stitch think about how great it would be if we could take this obsession hobby of ours and make it into career.

When I can’t find exactly what I am looking for, I have sketched something that I could stitch at a later time and I have charted and then stitched a few of my own small designs. I even have a name for my design company if I should ever start one!

But the thing I like most about cross stitching is, of course, the stitching! And so, when I get into those moods where I wish that instead of a merely hobby, cross stitch was more of a career, my thoughts turn to model stitching. Would I? Could I?

Personally, I think that I have an above average stitching style and I would definitely be honored if I was asked to model stitch. Of course, I could model stitch, but whether or not I would if asked, honestly I am not sure.

Truthfully, I don’t know if I would enjoy model stitching because of the way I love to make adjustments to a pattern if I don’t especially like what is suggested. And then there is the obligation factor. I seldom do “obligation” stitching because of the fact that I won’t get to keep the project and if there are time limitations, there really isn’t much fun left in it for me.

Additionally, in my past experience, as soon as I turned my love of something (i.e., the library) into a career I just didn’t care for it as much anymore and I would hate to have that happen to my stitching.

This, of course, makes me curious about the rest of you and brings me to today’s Stitching Blogger’s Question and that is:

Have you ever been asked to do model stitching?

Did you do it? If so, what was your compensation? (money, stash, etc.) If not, why not?

If you haven’t done it, if you were asked would you? Why or why not?

Gone Bananas!

Saturday morning, when I announced to A. that I was going to make banana bread with the overripe bananas that were on top of the microwave, he gave me a skeptical look.

He still does not understand some of my eating habits that are either very American, very childish, or both. He fails to appreciate the delightful combination of crunchy peanut butter with apples, the exquisite delicacy of a peanut butter and (strawberry) jam sandwich on white American sandwich bread, or that staple of all American kids’ and college students’ diets; macaroni and cheese and hotdogs (not combined mind you, though I have known people to do such a thing.)

Therefore, when I announced that I was going to make banana bread he followed me into the kitchen and told me he wasn’t so sure that a banana on bread sounded very good and what was up with those weird things I eat anyhow?

It was then that I had to explain that, unlike Elvis, I don’t eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and that banana bread was not just another one of my odd American concoctions, but a quick bread that in some respects was not all that different from, but much moister than, some of the so-called cakes that his mother bakes.

Upon closer inspection, I found that I didn’t have everything required for the banana bread and I decided that another day of ripening wouldn’t hurt the bananas, so after a quick trip to the store Saturday afternoon, I decided to wait until yesterday morning to make my grandma’s banana bread.

Though he was reluctant, before I put the bread in the oven I made A. taste the batter. I am a firm believer that if your batter doesn’t taste good, neither will the end product. Instead of wrinkling his nose as I was afraid he might, he replied with, “Hey that’s not bad!”

A little over an hour later, A. tasted his first piece of banana bread fresh from the oven. I conclude he must have liked it, because not only did he eat some more of it for breakfast this morning, it is about gone and I was requested to make another loaf!

* * * * *

And now, for your dining pleasure, I present:

blondelibrarian’s Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread

1/3 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 3/4 cup Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla (optional)
1 cup mashed, ripe Bananas (about 3)
1/2 cup Walnuts

Cream together shortening, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Beat well. Sift together dry ingredients. Alternating with mashed bananas, add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in walnuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees (F) for about an hour.

Enjoy!