The new year has just started in here

Usually, after New Year's Eve, a lot of my friends complain about how it takes days, sometimes weeks for them to get used to using the new numbers on documents or whatever. I was quite proud of myself for avoiding that this year, I used 2012 ever since the first of January and was rather satisfied with my ability to remember the proper date. As if it's proof of my genius. Until earlier today, when I realised that when downloading my digital camera's content, I'm still saving the new photos into a folder called 2011. If my psyche could facepalm, it would. So much about that.

Look what I got!

My newest favourite item is this strawberry shaped teapot. I first saw this about ten years ago in a Pickwick tea ad. I fell in love with it immediately, and been wanting one ever since. Last December it was on a special Christmas offer. It was in a gift-pack with four boxes of tea. I love tea, but even if I didn't, I would have bought the pack just for the teapot. Unfortunately, my tight working schedule didn't let me buy one, and the packs sold out so quick that I thought I had missed my chance and was devastated over it. Luckily, my home town has a Tesco and since it is a small town, they had a few boxes left for a special sale in January! I ma pretty tight on money, but I just had to buy me one! So this is one story with a happy ending!

Alice

I mentioned fairy tales in my post yesterday. I love them. I love them all. I have some favourites, but I love fantasy stories in general, and tales are just fantasy for kids. One of my favourite authors is Lewis Carroll, I truly admire his imagination and literary skills. Did you know I used to know the Jabberwockey poem by heart when I was little? I learned it in Hungarian because I didn't speak English yet. I can still recite the first two verses!

I am also a big fan of Tim Burton. I always loved this unique style and vision. So you can imagine how excited I was to hear of his interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. I counted the days until the premiere and it is the only movie to date that I have watched in 3D.
No wonder the story and the visuals have inspired Susan in Maryland to create a truly fantastic piece of fabric art to honour the complexity, creativity and depth of the story. I have been following her progress for quite some time, and meant to blog about it, as she is truly gifted and creates magic with her needle. Please follow this link to see how this amazing masterpiece was born! I wish I could do something like that!

Also, following the link here you can find some truly breathtaking photos by my favourite photographer, Annie Leibovitz. She sent her Alice through a wild ride in the crazy world of fashion and the result is funny, breathtaking and inspiring at the same time. As it should be.

Kitteh taking shape

I scanned Cuddling Cat last night but it was so late I put the fabric in the scanner the wrong side down, so I scanned the back first. LOL! No problem, at least I can show you the back of my stitching. Still not as neat as I wish, but I am getting there!

If I think about my first cross stitch kit, I am mildly ashamed of how ugly its back is. And the front too, if I want to be completely honest. At the time I was terribly proud of myself for doing such a good job, but with 10+ years of CS experience behind me, I cringe when I look at it. The top stitches on my Xs are in totally random direction, to name but one problem. And I can see some of the threads that I carried a long way through the fabric. Not pretty!

Still, it's my first stitched piece. As the matter of fact, that too was a DMC kit, Chloé Watering Flowers. And it's hanging on my wall for the rest of my life.

Back to Sarah Kay: I started filling the dots on the dress and I hate it! It messes up the back even more! I almost promised myself I will never do another design like this, but I already have another kit in my stash, and yes, her dress is covered in dots too!

*sigh*

Well, I think I'll just take some time to spend on other stitches before I start working on that one. My mom already requested a Dimensions design, which is a nice change because she ignored my hobby so far. If she ever said anything about it, it was how much money and time I spend on it that would be better, and a lot more rewarding, if I spent it on something else, like housework or finding a good job. But right now stitching is what I need most. I know you ladies will understand. We often joke about how stitching keeps us sane, but with my record of diagnosed psychological problems, it's a fact. Without cross stitch, I would be going mad like Michael Douglas in Falling Down.

The latest WIP

The latest project I started last week, it's a DMC kit from the Sarah Kay collection. It's called Cuddling Cat and the timing is very appropriate.

One day after I secretly started working on this, my daughter found and adopted a little kitten. It was born somewhere at a hidden corner of the factory where my dad works as a security guard. My mom and daughter visited him on his lunch break, and at that moment kitty and girl found each other and became best friends immediately.

Too bad the kitty is not an orange but a grey tabby, but I'm sure my baby will love this design anyway. But if anyone is aware of a cross stitch design of a blonde girl with a grey kitty, please let me know!

The first two scans of my progress on Cuddling Cat is below, I hope to work a great deal on it during the weekend and hopefully be done with most of the dress. I will let you know on Monday.

Heavenly protection

I just heard a story in tonight's news and I had to share.

A woman in Budapest was walking with her 4 year old son and pushing her 8 months old child in the baby carriage, when a huge piece of stone carving fell off of the house they were walking by. The street was full of people who were shocked by what happened. The dog sized stone fell right to the handle of the carriage that made it tilt and the baby fell out, onto the stone. The mother's hand was seriously injured but the baby had only a scratch and the 4 year old was not injured at all.

Half a step to any direction and the stone would have killed immediately whoever it lands on. It was only the matter of inches.

There are angels watching our steps and no one will ever be able to convince me of the contrary.