Paradigm Lost and Birthday Fairies

It is Tuesday, another SAL night.. this time, Paradigm Lost. My scanner was friendlier tonight (or rather, I did it right tonight!), so you can now see the fabric and silk colors much, much more accurately. I am not actually stitching this sampler in a Q-Snap, but did put it in so it would sit well in the scanner. The left edge is rather wrinkly from stitching in hand! Why am I stitching in hand, considering how I generally feel about stitching in hand? Well, my left hand has been aching lately from Q-Snaps, so it is time for a break. But with that said, I really hate the sewing method. I am a stabber. Why? When using the sewing method, the two horizontal threads under the stitch bend. They really never unbend, and the stitch looks, to me, to be wobbly. Stabbing leaves a nice, crisply placed stitch - so I stab! (Well, I am using sewing method with Kingdom Sampler - but that is two strands of DMC on 28 ct linen.... kind of a different deal, it can be pressed later). Anyhow.... I really have decided that I love this fiber choice. It is working out really well and matches my decor quite perfectly too! (Wow, the scanner really highlights a thicker thread in the linen in the middle area of the A.... but it doesn't show up pronounced quite like that IRL... it's there, but actually looks good, not all distorted like in the image).
Oh my gosh, the Birthday Fairies have been visiting me the past couple of days! I love to send birthday gifts to my stitching pals, and then generally forget all about it until Microsoft Outlook reminds me that a birthday is approaching.... So, when my birthday comes up, I feel a bit overwhelmed with the generosity of other stitchers towards me! Thank you, ladies! I love it all!!! In this photo are gifts from three different friends: Judi sent me the cute little kitty cat fob, the nice cut of lambswool linen and a sweet bookmark kit seen on the left... Isabelle sent me the pretty Abracadabra lugana (gosh, I know she loved this fabric when she got it - then she sent it to me! I don't even know what to say!!), a lovely french garden chart by Tournicoton which is simply amazing, a skein of a french overdyed floss and a very sweet little kitty cat tissue holder! Welcome back from vacation, Isabelle! And, last but certainly not least, on the far right is a stunning garden chart by Reflets de Soie from Karen V! Thank you all sooo much! I will email you all personally tonight from my laptop.... when my hard drive died over the weekend on this desktop computer, I lost everyone's email addresses... fortunately, Outlook is intact so I did not lose your birthdays! But... I do have your emails on my laptop, so I will make sure to thank each of you personally for being so kind!

And... I learned today that Patti and I have the same birthday, July 31st!! That is so cool! I wonder if we were born the same year? 1963... Naw, I bet I am older than Patti - LOL!!

It's New DVD Release Tuesday, got The Benchwarmers and Final Destination 3 :-)

Stitched on today: Paradigm Lost