Faerie Spring Fling Update

I have been whipping through Faerie Spring Fling. The colors are lovely and keep me guessing. I love it so much!

The blobs are the little ruffles of her skirt. I promise it will make more sense soon.

New Start: Faerie Spring Fling

I was only half truthful in my last post. Yes, I did start a new project but no, not wedding related. Oh well! I have enough projects to keep me busy for the rest of my life, and then some. Sound familiar? We're birds of a feather, you and I.

I started Nora Corbett's Faerie Spring Fling on Steph's Spring Grass. Such a light, lovely color.

The prettiest amorphous blob

Wedding stuff

Damn, this wedding planning stuff is hard!! I remember when I visited Bryn Mawr college in junior year of high school,  and the lovely tour guide said she was studying biology but her secret dream was to be a wedding planner.

Well. I just thought that was the coolest thing. So antithetical to her chosen career path. For her sake, I hope she incorporates some of her dream into her reality.

Now I think she is crazy to want to do this for a living! Wedding planning is stressful, competitive and emotional. It is so easy to feel like you must keep up with the Joneses. There is a ton of family expectations that are tied in with the financial responsibilities. It got to a point that I was begging my fiance to elope. I could cross stitch while waiting for the JoP to arrive! En route to the  honeymoon! 

We decided that we have already invested so much into the wedding that we will have it anyway and that I would try to change my perspective. Family will not be an obligation, they will be witnesses to our joy and part of a banging party. We will incorporate all the things we love,  like ballroom dance, cookies,  delicious food and games. Our vendors will be people we truly like and feel good with,  and so far they have been wonderful.

So everyday I browse pinterest, weddinggawker and other sites for inspiration. Everyday, I take a step back, clear my head and ask myself if this is really me,  do I really decorate in those colors or styles, do I even like how her hair is done, will people notice the details when they're onto their second shock top beer?

In the beginning, I said to anyone who would listen that all that matters at the end of the day is that I am married to my love.

My feelings haven't changed.

A Goddess, a Farmhouse and French Treats

My favorite non-stitchy things to acquire are cookbooks. I have quite a few dessert cookbooks, and I enjoy making something from each book every once in a while. Lately, I have been cooking up a storm from the Martha Stewart Cookie Cookbook and rather than sitting on the couch and eating them all, I "taste" a few and give the rest to my classmates.

Ever since I bought a macaron from the local bakery, I have been obsessed with learning how to make them. I bought all the accoutrements (see, French!) like a digital scale, almond meal and a decorating kit, and have been waiting for the perfect time to try out a recipe from my macaron and cake pop cookbook. Fiance's mother is kind, wonderful and generous and has been making us delicious eggplant parmagiana for our lunches, so I think it's time to give back.

This is my attempt at a chocolate macaron with salted caramel.

Delicious!


I don't mean to hijack the stitching blog with baking news. So here is what is up, stitching-related:

1. Put in long hours on Queen's Farmhouse. Looks awesome. Love every stitch.

The center of Versailles, up close

2. Picked up Persephone and struggled through the confetti in her hair, backstitched her face and marveled at her loveliness. Also, I think I misplaced the Caron Waterlilies used for the background. Oops!

  

 What's next, you ask? Probably cake pops. Oh, stitching-related, you mean? I feel itchy for a new start! I think it's time to bust out a wedding project. More news on that, coming soon!

Chatelaine: Summer Fruits - Pear

Newest acquisition: Chatelaine's summer pear. It is currently an ongoing yahoo group class, but you can buy the pattern on the European cross stitch website.

Isn't it lovely?

I am quite excited to start! I have been itching for a new start, but have instead been plowing through the Queen's Farmhouse. I think it's time for another update on that project too!

Sweet Teeth/Non-stitching related

I could die. Seriously.

Sweet Teeth Cake Pops

 Find them here!

WIP: Queen's Farmhouse

I have spent quite a few hours this weekend working on Chatelaine's Queen's Farmhouse. It looks beautiful, and my tired eyes are a testament to what it's like to work on black fabric.

You can see my attempt at a Jessica stitch to the left of the center. I thought I figured it out but halfway around, I got confused as to how to connect all the points. I am going to watch a video or look at a diagram later.