July Just Nan SAL Check-in

I actually got a band done this month on Lady Scarlet's Journey!

I'm still behind where I want to be, but these constant color changes are killing me. The fabric is a very open weave, too, so I can't cheat and carry over the thread...I have to end and begin for every one of those little flowers. The "knotted stitch" below the sheep was a lot of fun, though. Why did I put "knotted stitch" in quotes? Because there are no knots in this stitch, and it honestly doesn't even look knotted to me. It's just a long-arm cross variation. Anyway, it was a pleasure to do after all those color changes!

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July Smalls SAL Check-in

I'm continuing with Dragon Dreams's 12 Dragonlets series...this month, it's Seven Swans-a-Swimming...

...or IS it? This little dragon is suited up for Summer; perfect to stitch in July, even though I have not set foot in a pool since June! I love this month's take on the 7th day of Christmas!

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The Geekend That Was, 7/27

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Gee willikers, it's been a long time since I've done a Geekend post...the last time was in November!!

Neither Michael nor I were feeling great this weekend, plus it was hot, so there was a lot more indoor time than outdoor. We managed to make it out on Saturday to try a new place near us for lunch...

Amelie's is a French Bakery with a couple locations in the Carolinas. We had a roast beef sandwich on a croissant, carrot ginger soup, tea, and some dessert...

Overall, the food was good but not earth-shattering, and I thought it was slightly overpriced. The cream puff you see there was a good representation of the quality...the pastry was a little overcooked, but it was the best-filled cream puff I've ever had. There were no air pockets in this baby! The blueberry tart was good but not as flavorful as it should have been. We'll probably give them another try; especially since they are so close to us and will eventually be open 24 hours.

From there, we went to a place we'd driven by a few times, Crafted Westside, filled with art and goods made by local craftsmen (and women =). We ogled some nice art, but ended up just coming away with some macarons (please stop saying "macaroon," everyone!) and a nice piece of jewelry.

Here's a closeup of the jewelry:

I failed to capture how sparkly the amethyst is!

On Saturday afternoon and Sunday after church, we succumbed to playing the Destiny Beta (and, rats, it was fun, so now I want to preorder it!) I wasn't completely unproductive; I did make a cake that I read about on pepperknit's blog...a Cherry Olive Oil Polenta cake!

I didn't have a 10 inch pan, so I used a 9 inch one.

Maybe that's why mine came out so much taller than hers! Or maybe it was because I used cherries instead of a juicier fruit.

It's pretty good, but the jury's still out on whether I'd make it again or not. More research and sampling is needed. =)

There was also some stitching, but you're going to have to wait for all the month-end updates to see it!

JiffNotes
This weekend: Food. Next weekend: Exercise.

Theme-a-licious August is...

Author! Author! August

The words are speaking this month! Hunt out those WIPs with a verse or two. It's time those projects with words and sentences grew.

August's theme has sprung from the pen of Jan Gartlan! Actually, she suggested "Ode to October", but I've got another theme I like for October. =) Ooooo, aren't you all so curious now?? Jan, please email me your snail mail address so I can get a prize off to you!

I'll definitely be working on Shakespeare's Garden and Spring Garden Gate, which both have verses on them, but I'm going to look through the stash and see what else is wordy and telling me it should have some progress next month.

Where in the World...

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...have I been?? You know, I was wondering why I haven't been blogging, then I started writing this summary and realized how busy my weekends have been, and I remembered why! Of course, that's no excuse for this month, except that maybe I have needed a few weekends of doing nothing to recover. When I looked at all the pictures I'd taken in May, June and July, I felt a little faint, so I told myself I'd do the "pick just one picture" thing again. Maybe if there's some interest, I'll share some more. ;)

So here's what I've been up to...

May

• Took Michael's parents on a Mother's Day tour of gardens, followed by Comedy of Errors at the Shakespeare Tavern

• Had a nice Mother's Day lunch with my family
• Took my niece to see the Atlanta Ballet and the Gardens

June

• Went to Savannah and Amelia Island for our anniversary
Breakfast on our verandah!
• Took Michael's parents to the brand new Delta Flight Museum for Father's Day, followed by my first ever golfing attempt (emphasis on "attempt")
You can't make these people stop for a picture...
• Celebrated Father's Day with my family
• Spent a whirlwind three days at a family wedding event...seeing relatives from all over the country, visiting the World of Coke, the Aquarium, attending a fiesta...and fortunately I was spared the golfing!

July

• Hosted my family for Independence Day, including hot dogs, fireworks and plenty of food!
Yummy salad my sister made...and so festive. ;)
The view from our deck!

I'll try to be a little better about posting!

JiffNotes
Time with family is the theme this summer!!

Theme-a-licious June/July

This month was reallyreally busy, so I did not get as much done as I would have liked! By the time I was done with the Smalls SAL and the Just Nan SAL, there was little time left! I did get some work in on Les Rubans on this ribbon:

I don't think I've ever posted a shot of allllll the fibers used in this piece, so here you go:

There's Petite Very Velvet, Splendor, NPI silks, Kreinik braids, ribbons, beads, and the list goes on!

My only other "bright" piece for the month was a start with the latest Cookie A Sock Club yarn, although I decided to make it into a different pair of socks from a Cookie A book I already had...Pointelle.

You can see that although my yarn is bright, it's not as bright as the yarn in the book! =)

Now let's talk about THIS month, which is...

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Jubilee July

It's time to celebrate! What are you celebrating this year? Stitch on your holiday-related projects, OR find some WIPs you know you'll never finish and set them free.

Dancer's going to be my primary focus, but I'm sure I will come up with some other things to work on as well. =)

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So how was June Jolt? Was your stitching shocking, or did it brighten up your day? What are you going to celebrate (or set free) for Jubilee July? Please add your link below (to your latest Theme-a-licious post), and visit some other Themers if you can (everyone loves comments and encouragement!) Our next post will be on August 1st. And remember, it's never too late to join in or send suggestions for future themes!