Sore hands, finished project

So I haven't posted since... last... Thursday?? Sorry, but I didn't have anything to show so I thought I'd hold off until I finished the sold necklace & earring set. That & my cousin was here from California (he lives there, isn't from there) so we of course spent part of the weekend together.
Have been walking & have GAINED 4lbs back! Boo! :( But I'm going to keep it up.... Can't hurt me can it?!
Got to ride every day since Friday so far. Shortened my rains ALOT & guess what?? Oh so much better pattern. I have more control with less movement, which helps us both out. He gets what I'm asking & I ask without slinging my arms around so much, if that makes sense.... Now. If I can just get my nerves together & get him moving *faster* - that's what barrel racing is all about, right? :)
Oh - here's my picture for the day.

It's just like the black & silver one I did for sister, except it's all brown. You can't really tell from the picture, but when the light catches the glass beads it's really quite nice. I kind of hate to say that about my own design, but I mean the beads show more color than just plain old brown. I couldn't get a good picture of it showing the colors without putting it on & since it's for someone else I didn't want to put on the earrings.
Something else I've been working through whether to post about or not... But I need to think about it & writing it out will help me not be so sad. Yesterday (22May,2011) marked five months since I lost my friend Blake. It's hard to think about, but I just can't help it. I should have gone to visit his grave, but I just couldn't make myself go; which is odd because I usually go every other week or so. Probably because I spent the day with my private thoughts of him, & didn't want anything to interrupt that. Whenever I go, I get angry. It's been five months & his family (mother & 2 brothers) still haven't even purchased a head stone for him. It isn't a financial issue, as I know he had a very large life insurance policy, for just such an occasion. Instead his mother bought herself & his younger brother a new car, they moved, sold all of his belongings (even the 32 year old horse he'd had since he was 10), & opened a new hair salon (mother & older brother are hair stylists). Basically his whole memory is dead to them & it breaks my heart because the reason he was doing the job he had when he died is so he could pay the rent for the 3 of them & keep himself afloat as well. I know I shouldn't be angry, but I can't help it when I see how they abused him in life & forgot him in death. His older brother is actually still using Blake's cell phone because he has run up & refused to pay bills with every carrier around here.
I know he's in a better place, & I know God does everything for a reason. It's just hard for me to let things go when I see such huge injustices for such a good person. Why don't I pay for the stone? You may be asking right now... I wish I could..... I would in a heartbeat if I could afford it. I *am* trying to save back a little every week, & I've asked some of his other friends to do the same. Hopefully we'll be able to get one soon.
Anyway. I have dishes to do & I desperately need to think about something else or my whole day will be blown away. My thoughts & prayers are with those in Joplin, Missourri...

Excited! And Feeling Guilty....

First thing - I'm excited because Untatter went to the bathroom in the BIG GIRL POTTY!!! That's right, we just crossed our first potty training milestone!! Woohoo!! Okay... Enough about that... =-D
Now - what am I feeling guilty about?? All this stuff I got in the mail from Fox.... And I only sent her 5 bobbins of thread or so... Look what she sent me!!

 The tin is absolutely adoreable, but I don't know that she'd appreciate her address being posted on my blog so you only get the inside, as her card is on the outside :) Then there's 10 spools of Cebelia, & those cute little beads... So I feel guilty... Hope she'll forgive me! :)
The other thing is the fact that I've been sorely neglecting & under estimating the value of both Clover & SewMate shuttles. Now I'm not going back on how much I love my Boye metal shuttles - I'll always have a soft spot for them. But since I only have 3 made in USA & 1 old one that's huge, I recently decided to put my sew mates in my purse bag. That way if I lost them, it wouldn't just break my heart. Well, I've had some time to work on the edging that's in there a couple of times, & for some reason this particular time I've used them, I just love them. So much that when I got home yesterday, I wound up the clovers I had in my stash. In the past this would have made me miserable. But yesterday, it was like something just clicked. I love them both! Now I do like the sew mates better, because the size is more comfortable for me. But I actually took all the Boyes & bobbins out of my project bag & put my 2 clovers in the bag. I only have 2 clovers & 2 sew mates for now, but still. I don't think ya'll realize what a huge shift this is for me! I do plan on buying a few more sew mates, but probably will stick with just the 2 clovers... For now...

 This is the progress on MPD. I'm not sure why but my computer is showing up that the thread is a little pink. But it's not. It's white Cebelia. Hmm... At any rate, it's coming out alot better this time around. I tried it one time several years ago - actually it was my first real project & didn't get past these medallions. I'd only been tatting around a month & apparently it didn't dawn on me that because I tat left handed, things go counter clockwise. Which means I have to consider that when making joins to the other medallions & go the other way around from normal. But I've got it this time I think. It's amazing what time & education will do isn't it?

This is what I came up with for my friend's press I was supposed to fill. Well I didn't come up with it - I remade if from one I already have. She says she likes it in pink & brown. What do you think? I just realized the date on my camera is off by about 3 years & a few days & I don't know how to fix it.... Have to call my sister on that one......
And now I'm about to take Untatter for our walk. Haven't gotten to the last few days because of rain. Now if my stroller will just dry out.... wish I hadn't left it on the porch......
Enjoy your day

I have pictures today!

As promised, I have pictures today.... It's rainy & gross outside so I don't feel like doing much that doesn't involve spending time with Untatter on the couch :)

First things first, this is the corner of the first round of the hankie edging. It's Flora #20, but I can't remember the name of the color. It's variagated blues & whites, & it's my favorite thread EVER!

This is a folded picture. Can you see where I sewed in my ends?? ;) That's the plan. One down one round to go!

This is the redone part of the 2nd round of Mom's Pink Doily. There's a link to it on one of my other posts. And yep, that's still the metal Boye shuttle! It's done in Cebelia #20 white that CarolIvy from Intatters sent me because I'd never used any. She's a sweetheart & has her own blog store. You should run over to Intatters & find her photo albums - she's done some lovely jewelry & other things.

And this, just because it makes me smile to see him, is a picture of my sweet Chico while he was eating his breakfast the other day. It's not a good picture, & he's not doing anything special, I just love him & I thought if he makes me smile, he might make you smile, too. So there you go! :) He's still a little scraggley with winter hair here & there. He's like a dog when it comes to shedding off the winter coat - it takes him twice as long as the others. Next time I remember to take a camera to the barn I'll take a better one. He's really a nice looking horse when he doesn't have his face stuffed into a feedpan & I'm not taking crappy pictures. Believe it or not!



Enjoy your day!