Girlie but not so girlie & a public goal

Yesterday's post was about my realization that I am becoming "girlie."  As some pointed out, I would be characterized as well rounded since I bake, stitch, scrapbook, help Ken with workworking, and shoot pistols.  So, I feel better that I'm just enjoying more diverse interests than most.


Here's one more of the "girlie" things that I do:  cross-stitching.  My grandmother tried in vain to teach me to crochet, but all I could do was make the longest chain in history.  However, I learned to cross-stitch at camp one year, and I found that I was good at it.  I used to hide this talent until I learned that there are many male professional athletes who stitch to relax on the road. Most of the things that I have made over the years have been given away as gifts.  I have no way to know if they were kept, but the time that was taken to make them was extensive.  


I managed to make birth samplers for Taylor and Mandy, but Jordan's is still not finished.  Many things have gotten in the way of my stitching over the last few years (dealing with a divorce and all sorts of things).  I had lost a lot of my things to my parents and to my ex, so I had to start over, but I salvaged the frames for the girls.  Here's Taylor's birth sampler:

Jordan has finally figured out that she doesn't have one of these, so I have to get moving on hers.


The other "girlie" thing that I do is digital scrapbooking.  For anyone who has been in my house, you know that I have books and posters and prints all over the place.  The girls look forward to their birthday books that I will make, and I  can't seem to stop myself from sending cards to my friends.  


Now, I tried to do the traditional scrapbooking, but I have no imagination, nor do I have any talent nor patience.  However, I love the digital scrapbooking because other people make these wonderful things, and then I get to take them and make them my own.  Here's some of my creations:

www.digital-heirloom-storybooks.com

I love that the girls are making their own items, and I love that this site makes me look really good!

So, here's the deal.  I need to stay on top of my stitching projects.  I have a TON of magazines and leaflets:

There used to be a great stitching show that I would go to in Riverside (2002 & 2003) and then it stopped.  Bummer!  I used to find really great ideas and supplies there.  The binders that you are looking at hold 16 years of magazines and leaflets, and yet, I have not made very many items out of them, but I love the ideas.  

I also have a computer program that allows me to create my own stitching patterns.  I usually steal ideas from the magazines and then make my own "improvements."

Now, here's the section of my closet that has bags full of various projects: bookmarks, bread cloths, hand towels, afghans and other really cool things that I haven't gotten around to making. The last major purchase that was made was the Seasons of bell pulls by Ken for Mother's Day last year.  

There doesn't appear to be much in there, but the bags have a lot of small things in there.  I really love the Mill Hill packets, but the beading work is really time consuming and eye straining when there are Little People running around.

So, here's what I started stitching last May:

There was much more done, but I found that I made a mistake, so I've been busy ripping stitches out in order to correct it.  Not fun!

Here's what it's supposed to look like:

I have not yet figured out the sewing part of the whole thing, but I need to first get the stitching done.  

So, I'm hoping that you, my fabulous friends who check in now and then, will ask me how this project is going so that I can post that it's finished.

Now, as for being "girlie" I would still like to stick to "well-rounded" and not just about my figure.  I spend most of my days discussing and debating reloading numbers with Ken so we can get the best rounds to go shoot with at the range.  The fact that I know what I'm talking about means that I'm not "foo-foo."

Awesome!