Puppers & Projects

I was not cut out for adulting.  It's really not working out for me at all. I'm just hoping that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and that it's not a train.  Valentines Day was quiet.  It's been a fairly snow-free winter.  If we can get through this month, we'll be home free.  Yes we can get a blizzard in March but it won't last long.

We're still dog sitting from time to time which is awesome. Shadow is such a sweetheart.

But she doesn't like it when Sagan sniffs her and gets 'all up in her business' and she will bark and snap at him.

But we did have some really bad news about Sagan.  He was sick so we took him to the vet and tests showed a mass behind his stomach.  That was a very, very bad day.  They gave us some medicine for him and he's doing really well.  He'll be 13 next month and I will not put him through further tests and/or a biopsy, because surgery to remove it isn't an option.  Not at his age.  Just loving on him and making him comfortable.  You'd never know he had this tumour now that he's better.

We got her a bed.  Isn't she adorable?  She was watching Russell eat his salad and giving him the sad eyes.  

"But you has foods and I has NO foods."

I've saved some free cross stitch patterns so decided to tackle a couple.  I love how the Hogwarts crest came out. 

There's something about this design that really speaks to me.  This was a quick 3-day project.

Finally got around to mounting the wood burned Harry Potter signs to a piece of driftwood.  That'll go in the yard this spring, since we found out we can stay here again this coming year.  

This freakin metal Hogwarts train is gonna be the death of me.  I have about 12 pieces left to go.  The directions were pretty good at first but they seemed to slack off towards the end here.

 Another wind chime I did in a spiral circle. 

I had a dream that I went shopping at Five Below, so I decided to shopping at Five Below.  I love that store.  Way better than Dollar General.  I could buy the entire store but I didn't.  I was so excited to find this sparkly mermaid pillow that was multicoloured.  It's the prettiest one I've ever seen.  I tried to draw a heart on it to show the back side of the sequins.

It's not the best quality and it was $5, but I just can't resist a fringed purse.

My new fave animal is the possum.  I've been following some pages on Facebook and they are just the cutest things.  So I couldn't resist these plushies, which I named Sesame and Lucky, after my two faves. 

Because I'm a sucker for punishment, I got more metal kits.  These appear to be easier than the train. I probably should've started with the TARDIS before jumping in with both feet.

It should be noted that I have a fairly bad pain in my right thumb from stitching.  I hate to take a break from it but I may be forced to.  I hope things over the next week or so go ok cause I really and truly need a break.  I am mentally exhausted and emotionally drained.  

Winter Projects

How is it possible that it's almost February????  I finished up this cross stitch in just 3 days' time. I love easy 'instant gratification' projects.

This was messed up from the get go.  I miss counted so much that I ended up just finishing to see how bad it'd look.  My friend Hannah loved it so much so I sent it to her.  I loved the design and colours but by the time I was done, I knew I wasn't going to keep it.

I found capiz shells on Amazon and made a couple of windchimes.  This is the one on a starfish.  I have another that I did with the shells descending in a spiral but I don't have a pic yet.

People were posting these cool pics of bubbles with pretty frost forming in the sub zero temps so I gave it a try but it didn't work that well for me.  

It just mostly fogged up.

This project is extremely challenging.  Building the Hogwarts Express out of teeny tiny pieces of metal, that have microscopic tabs that fit into microscopic slots.

Penny there for scale.  There are about 70 pieces that have to be carefully punched out and assembled.

You have to follow these instructions which are actually pretty easy if you go slow and make sure of each step before you commit.  I've had a lot of trouble keeping ahold of the super small pieces, even with tweezers and needlenose pliers, and a few pieces have broken.  Thank god for E6000 glue and toothpicks.

So far I've got the coal tender done and now I'm working on the engine.  Each piece feels light as a feather but put together it's surprisingly heavy.

One of my friends asked me to make this for her.  It was a quick workup....a few hours one afternoon.  I used four strands of rainbow floss for the lettering since it's on 12ct Aida.  I was going to outline the letters but it didn't look right so I took it out (thankfully I'd only done the M).  

Just waiting for him to be born so I can finish this one.  

Orleans, Part 2

This almost looked like a murmuration.  Saw it on the way to Nauset Beach.

I really wanted to get down on the beach but the storm chewed away the sand and stairs so it was all roped off.  I think I would've been able to get down, but getting back up to the parking lot was going to be problematic.  As you can see, the Atlantic is ice-free.  The breeze on this side was a bit warmer too.

I really do appreciate having a chauffeur who doesn't mind stopping every few hundred feet so I can get a pic!

Orleans Playhouse

Back downtown.

Orleans Pond

Orleans Waterfront Inn & Restaurant.  I have it on good authority that this place is haunted!

I've never eaten here, nor did we eat here the day we went, but I had to take a pic cause it's definitely an Orleans institution.  I just remember the radio ads from the 80s, "The double double, dragon dragon, inn inn.'  

Hope you enjoy my little tour of Orleans! 

Orleans, Part 1

The only two towns I had left to shoot pics of were Orleans and Mashpee.  We decided to take a drive to Orleans on one of the warm days following the storms and freezes.  Russell knows his way around from his years delivering for Coca Cola, and he took me all over the place so I could get my shots.  Our first stop was Skaket Beach on Cape Cod Bay.  Tons of ice chunks that I wasn't expecting.  I didn't realize that CCBay was frozen too.

I've seen pics on Facebook of people walking out on the ice but I wasn't about to take that kind of chance!

Then we went over to Rock Harbor, also on the Bay.

All those super heavy chunks of ice just deposited on top of the jetties.  

I have never seen anything like this in person till this trip and the earlier one to Scraggy Neck.  It's amazing to see.

Entrance to the Harbor.

This was one of two ships still in the water and now stuck in the ice.  I hope their hulls don't get crushed by the ice.

The Cape is picturesque no matter what time of year it is.