Just a catch-up post...

I figured I'd better get a new post up here before I forget I have a blog!  I keep taking pictures thinking "oh, I'll do a post" and then I don't.  But I'll post them now - it's the best way to remind me of things to "record in my journal".

First off, I've made my egg strata with some regularity since my first report cause I really do like it.  Finally remembered to take a picture of one before I put it in the oven and need to remember to take one after I take it out of the oven cause it's prettier then.  Here it's all soupy but will puff up and brown nicely as it bakes.  Makes me glad I have a red casserole to bake it in.  Very cheery.

And while we're in the kitchen, this is a pretty poor picture of the tile that ... wait for it... ... ...
Chris and I are going to install when he comes over for Thanksgiving weekend!!  Yes, I'm excited. :)  In the picture, the sheet of tile is still in it's plastic wrap so it's mostly glare.  They're glass tiles and the shades are just right for my red, black and ivory kitchen, I think.  I hope we don't have too much trouble and I hope it turns out well.  Pictures will definitely follow (unless it doesn't turn out well).

This is a little cross stitch I finished up for my Etsy shop.  It's prettier "in the real" - the colors are subdued but not as subdued as they are in the photo.  I've actually sold three things in my little shop in the last week or two (third one today!) and that's always a nice feeling - I figure a person wouldn't buy it if they didn't think it was nice. :) 

This little "joy" banner is what I sold today.  The woman who bought it had already bought a Christmas tree quilt the week before last so it was nice she came back again. :)

Once I finished the cornucopia, I decided that I would stitch away at my Chinese petitpoint rug until November 10 (when the Yahoo Petitpointers post their progress pictures (wow - alliteration!)  Seems like so often when I post a progress picture you have to really search when comparing it to the previous picture in order to see where there's been any progress.  So I promised myself that this time, the difference would be noticeable.  I posted my October progress picture on the blog at this LINK if you'd like to compare.  Just scroll on down and you'll find it along with a picture of the finished rug that came with the chart.  Now that I've posted the picture, I've started stitching on a couple of Christmas pieces for my shop so who knows how long it will be before I get back to this rug.  I have to say, so far, it's a pretty boring pattern!  It's certainly not as intricate as a lot of the miniature rug charts that are being created nowadays.  (Wow! being the weird person I am, I just counted and by my count, there are twenty words in this paragraph that start with "p"! - well, now make that 22: ) )

Had a nice outing with Peggy during the brief "minute" she was in Huntington recently.  She's been a travelin' lady lately!  And the other night a neighbor called to see if I'd like to join her and her husband for a visit to SIP, the new wine bar I've mentioned before.  She didn't have to ask twice! :)  I really do like that place and think Chris and I will go there one evening.

Oh, and lest I forget!! Cindy had two free tickets and so called me to see if I'd like to go to the Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. (how's that for a mouthful?!) concert.  He was a winner last year maybe? of the "America's Got Talent" TV show and he's a West Virginian and so he's a big deal here in West Virginia.  I kind of thought I might not enjoy it that much but Cindy told me he's a crooner-type singer - old Frank Sinatra songs, etc., so I went and it was such a fun evening.  I was glad I decided to go.  He's quite a powerful singer and quite entertaining too.

And, let's see...the annual miniature art show had their opening reception last week or the week before and Shelly (I call her my Starbucks friend cause that's where we met each other) called to see if I wanted to go do that.  I'm so lucky to have friends that keep track of what's going on.  I love that exhibit so, of course, went along.  And then she had to pick something up from the museum gift shop so we went up there and they were getting all their Christmas goodies set out in the gift shop so I think Chris and I will probably go up there too.

There were probably a few other things that I thought "I'll post that when I post" but they're lost in the mists of the past now. :)  I'll end with what I did Sunday, Monday and today - washed windows!  Sunday I just scrubbed all the outside sills which get unbelievably dirty for some reason (I mean - I'm on the 9th floor for pity's sake!).  Then yesterday it was very balmy and overcast so I did the two bedroom windows first.  Washing windows here involves moving furniture, climbing up and down, and basically hard physical labor.  My windows are double hung and I confess to only washing the bottom halves of them.  I'm pretty sure I would accidentally kill myself if I attempted the upper halves.  Each half measures 47-1/2" wide by 37" high and they're double-paned and heavy!  You have to try and be very careful when you're tilting them in and down or they get away from you and then you're in trouble.  But oh, how I love them once they're done.  I did the two bedroom ones yesterday and then woke up to insanely bright sun today and was dismayed to see smear marks on both of them.  Went through all the work of moving stuff, getting them tilted in and down, cleaning them again, only to find the smears were on the inside (dumb me!)  So got that cleaned and they were beautiful, as was the view when sitting in my bedroom chair, to wit:

Seeing that end result gave me the gumption to do all four of the remaining windows (two living room, two dining room).  These weren't as dirty because usually if I decide to wash windows, I start with them and by the time I'm done figure "oh, what the heck - who's going to be looking out the bedroom windows?"  Awful, right?  But again, the end result makes the hard labor all worthwhile.  In the picture below, I sat where I sit when I eat my lunch and dinner and took the picture from there.  So this is that view.  And, yes, even though I know it's hard to believe, there is glass in the windows! (tee hee)

So, there you have it - not a trip to Florence or anything, but for me, a nice few weeks. :)

Look at the view from my windows!

This is what I saw yesterday late afternoon after an all-day overcast and lowering clouds type day.  And I was so elated cause I've been watching and hoping for beautiful fall colors this year because conditions seemed so perfect but nothing much seemed to be happening.  The green was getting less intense and the little trees in the bank parking lot lost most of their leaves (as usual) but no really great color.  And I swear, I really think the day before yesterday it was not this gorgeous. Of course, I think the setting sun finally breaking through helped make the colors really pop.  (p.s. - and I'm right - I just left the computer to go get something from the living room, looked out the window on a bright sunny day and the hills look kind of boring...)

 So, here is October in "almost heaven" West Virginia.

 Is this WOW, or what???

And that beautifully colored hillside in the background was just kind of dead looking green the last time I looked. :)

And since I'm already here, might as well post this picture of the outside of the library roombox, finally finished and all the mess of making it put away!!  No more cardtable in my bedroom.  I still have to do things like fill the bookcases and get the books to stay put, probably also actually glue the bookcases to the back wall, but I can do that kind of work without much mess or fuss.

I really love this paper.  And I figure with such a very serious and kind of elegant library, the paper reflects January's "inner child" or maybe just the fact that she is, after all, my baby. :)

And while I'm at it, I'll post pictures of the little progress I've made on my 40-count Chinese rug...

Here's what it looked like on June 11, 2011 ( last time I had worked on it!):

And here's what it looks like as of today (I started up on it again around October 5 I think):

I know it doesn't look like much, but it is slowwww going

And this is what it will/would look like if I ever finish it:

If I get that far, I think I may try and fiddle with the two big gold half medallions on the long sides - put a little orange and white into them somehow.  But overall, I think it's a very unusual pattern.  I've seen patterns that are newer that are much more intricate and "oriental" looking but this is based on the Chinese Ninghsia rugs (that spelling may be wrong) and I really like it - so bright and busy!