Last week, I made myself a pincushion using some left over felt I had. Without any real direction, I added some flowers and tested out some embroidery stitches I learned from watching random tutorials I googled. I thought it came out pretty nice for a first attempt with no real plan:





Stinky mentioned my little project to my in-laws this weekend and my FIL asked me to make him one. When Stinky moved out, they turned his bedroom into a sewing room and my FIL custom makes all of their poodle, Charlie's clothes (no joke, they are awesome). I was so excited to get my first request and worked on it all this week. To help with the embroidery, I picked up this 4" inch ring from Pearl Paint for only $.64. I also bought some more embroidery floss (currently buy 1 get one 50% off) for less than $.50 a skein. Since it was for my FIL, I didn't use any flowers and tried to pick "manly" colors but really, how manly can a pincushion be? Here is my finished product:

(yes, these were taken in the fridge for the lighting!)

The letters on the top of the pincushion are embroidered with a basic chain stitch.


The top and bottom are sewn to the side band with a blanket stitch.


The eyes and wings of the birds are sewn using french knots and the "branch" is sewn with a cable chain stitch with two colors.  The music notes are a combination of a french knot and some basic stitches.


The bird on the bottom piece is sewn with a basic stitch and french knots for the eyes and on the wing.


The 4" ring.


The side band.


The little gal on the bottom.


All the different colors used.


All it's puffy goodness.


I hope he likes it!

Help me out with this hypothetical situation:

B is a widely hate coworker.  As luck would have it, you get assigned to work with B for several weeks.  As you spend more time together, you get to know B on a more personal level and realize that B is actually not that bad.  The two of you even become friends outside of work.  Weeks press on and the project grows more intense.  Slowly you start noticing B's flaws and bad habits.  Eventually you realize that your other coworkers were right about B.  Especially B's malicious need to document all interactions with one-sided summary emails (important later).  Any benefit of the doubt you had given B before is cast in the wind when you realize that B is truly selfish, cut-throat, arrogant and judgmental.  Then B commits a work related offense directly against you.  As a result, you draw back and detach from her personally and limit your interactions to work purposes only.  B then sends you an email noting the tension, feigning ignorance and asking to meet for coffee.  Before you can even reply, a "higher up" calls you in and asks for an explanation for the tension between you and B.  You are vague but mention B's offense, which the "higher up" takes your side on.  In fact, the "higher up" reveals that she is aware of the offense and has spoken with B about the importance of respect and team work.  Now B's email makes sense and appears completely disingenuous.  You actually wonder if B blind cc:ed the "higher up" to show a supposed effort to resolve the issue.  You have no problems with continuing to work with B professionally but have no interest in being B's friend.  What do you do?

twilight.  omg.

i forced myself to flip open my coworker's book to read a few lines.  she told me she hoped i didn't get the 10 pages about the main character waiting for her dial-up connection.  omg.  no, i didn't get those pages.  instead, i got the page where the main character describes in detail how she is trying to floss lasagna out of her teeth.  seriously.  SERIOUSLY!?!?  hoards of grown ass, intelligent women (don't even get me started on the men twilight readers) are reading this crap!?!? 

Happy Birthday to my snuggie Stinky!  I love you babe!!!

 

I love carving pumpkins!

My little pumpkin family.

The monkey was inspired by a coin purse I have.  You can see my paper mock up behind the pumpkin.

I was very "inspired" by some of the patterns on Zombie Pumpkins.

This little bugger had the HARDEST shell.  Bent and damn near broke all my pumpkin carving tools.

This big poppa was the easiest to carve.  Had I known that the shell would be that giving, I might have done something more difficult like, seriously, the Brooklyn Bridge.

The stinkster and I got a TON of candy so hopefully we get home early enough to see all the cute kids.  The younger kids usually come out super early because, I don't know, they have to go to bed earlier?  Last year Stinky missed some of the cutest babies so this year he said he's going to come home straight away.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

Taken on our second wedding anniversary last month at Babbo.  Don't we look alike?