Looking for the nuclear wessels...

Ok, so my nose is almost back to normal. It is still decongesting enough to remind me that it is there. Pattern files are all ready to print (except I have to put the 2006 Fantasy Faire logo on the Fantasy Faire design - otherwise they'll print up with the 2005 logo, which would be bad). This week will be full of printing mania - no Superbowl madness around here!

I am so excited about this year's Fantasy Faire design - I think it is so neat and it flowed so much easier than last year's. It is actually rather difficult to make a design with a size limitation and with color requirements (has to use the Dinky Dyes color, and at least one of a certain range of Kreinik colors). We also had an extra thematic element this year of doing Christmas ornaments, so that presented an additional challenge. The idea for this design actually came to me on the ride home from Nashville, so he's been waiting a long time to get to the public spot light. The companion design took a while longer, but once I knew I was doing a snowfight, I knew I couldn't do just one. Then, my husband did a long stint of playing Halo while I stitched, so I knew the snowfight must be two dragons, Red vs. Blue. (There's a funny little series with this name based on the Halo 2 game.)

I finally got the newsletter updated on the website with descriptions of the upcoming design releases, so check there for what's coming out at Nashville.

In other news, I met the owner of Needle in a Haystack after many months of being on the same business internet groups together.

I was gone on a short trip for a couple of days, and although DH was home, it was so cute to see how the cat obviously missed me! When I got home, and she heard my voice, she started meowing in that special, "Where have you been?" meow. Later, when I went to clean her litter box, she went running to her bathroom so that she could get a combing in from her mommy. We all curled up on the couch toghether and watched the Simpsons for the evening and there was much purring!

Lemons and Lemonade

What's that saying about life giving you lemons? Oh yes, try to make lemonade. Here I am, with a million things to get done, an especially important event this weekend, and I've come down with a cold. Yuck. Well, I'm just not going to let it get me down. Time to get out all the remedies and vitamins. Tonight it will be time for soup and a steamy shower. Time to lay low and get well.

I did manage to get the pattern files made for 3 of the new designs. Yay! Just the Fantasy Faire design and its companion design left until the new model arrives. I've decided not to order new bags until I run out of the old bags.

I just found out that the next ad deadline for the Needlework retailer is just before Nashville - ug. One more thing to do before leaving!

I think the dolphin design will be a post-Nashville release. It just will not be done in time, and this way, I don't have to stress over it. I can sort of preview it there, though, since I'll be working on it.

Meanwhile I'll try to decongest and watch 24.

Ready, Set, Panic!

Ok, Nashville is just over 4 weeks away now, so crunch time is here. Time to start going crazy. I did get a bunch done over the weekend. I finished the hardanger on one model, and matted all three new designs, plus the full ribbons design. Monday, I was able to do the photography on all the designs, which means that pattern layout can begin. I'm still stitching on one design, but I'm not going to stress over it - it may be a post-Nashville release. There's also one other design still at a model stitcher, which I would really like to have for Nashville, since it is dragon-related, but again, I won't stress over it.

There's also a mailing I'd like to do, which really should be done this week, promotional items, a banner and various other things that have to get done (plus printing). The trick is to take each thing one at a time and not go helter-skelter trying to do everything at once.

Of course, these preparations don't take into account the other half of life: the day job, trying to go to the gym, the laundry, feeding the cat and DH and such. I finally mailed Christmas gifts to my DB, so that's one job done. Luckily my nephew and niece are too young to understand that Santa is really late. I'll have to do better next year.

At least one thing was accomplished..

Another model was pinned. And I barely had enough pins, so I need to add pins to the shopping list. So what didn't get done? I didn't test out the hardanger for the other model, I didn't start to take down the Christmas stuff, I didn't mail my brother's Christmas gifts, I didn't sort laundy, and I'm sure there were a million other household things I could've done. I did, however, go to the gym, have my dinner, and commune with the cat, so some important things did get done.

The gym has been an interesting experience since the New Year. DH and I joined back in April. I'm a go two-three times a week kind of person, if my schedule allows, do the treadmill for 30-40 minutes. Lately I've started adding weights and more stretching. I went Sunday afternoon and it was nice, but Tuesday night, wow, I could barely find a parking spot! This is apparently what a New Year's resolution looks like.

I have a confession to make. I have borrowed "24" on DVD from DBIL and become totally addicted to it. I've never watched a TV show on DVD before, but I think 24 may be the worst one to watch this way because every episode is a cliffhanger and to-be-continued into the next episode. And it so easy to click over and watch one more - with no commercials! I'm probably going to hate the commercials when the new season starts this weekend. Second season of 24 marathon this weekend before the new season starts! Actually, I'm watching these because DH and I hadn't watched any of 24 before last year, and they seem to have a tendency to bring back characters from previous seasons. So last year, a new character shows up who's being called "Mr. President" when there's already a president in the show, and we're both totally confused. We had to call DBIL and find out that he was the previous president - oh! That explains it! Maybe I'll just record it all on the DVR and watch it on another night to cut out the commercials. :)

I'm trying to finalize plans for Nashville. If I can get the stretched models framed this weekend (or tonight), I may be able to photograph them and start on the pattern masters. Paper needs to be bought and printing needs to start. I'm contemplating a couple of cover changes on some of the old patterns, and a bag change overall. Anyway, we'll see what really gets done. :)

What happened to the New Year?

I guess the New Year isn't so new any more. It is hard to believe that it is already the 11th! We had a crazy holidays - first we traveled to Baton Rouge (even Mocha the cat came along!). Then I went up to Memphis to visit with my Grandmother. Which meant that I saw both my Mom and Grandmother on my birthday for the first time in years!

We didn't have time for a cake in Baton Rouge, so here I am blowing the candle out on the birthday biscuit!

We celebrated the next day in Memphis - can you pick out the birthday girl?

After Memphis, it was back to Houston and back to work. The first week in January I had two stitch-ins at the nearby LNS's, and I was so confused about what day of the week it was, I almost went to the wrong LNS on the wrong night! Then the models started to roll in which means production work - washing, ironing, and stretching. Every future square design is going to earn me fifty lashes with wet floss. I have spent more time with my T-square than I care to think about. Anyway, I hope to be cutting matte board soon so that I can send out some teaser mail to LNS owners. If I ever get my act together.

Then there's still the tree to take down and a million other things to get done. Januaries will never be a normal month for me now that I'm a cross stitch designer trying to make it in Nashville.