Can't Seem To Get Back Into My Routine Since Vacation!

 It seems like I have been unable to get myself back into any kind of a routine with my blogging, stitching and sewing since returning from vacation.  As a result, this is going to be a big post quick post heavy on the pictures but not so wordy.  It will tell you what I have managed to accomplish since my last post.

Making progress on Red Riding Hood (Primitive Hare) and am enjoying this stitch.  I've changed one color in this piece to match a frame I loved at the frame shop.  A couple of uninterrupted hours of stitching could go a long way on this one.

Finally got around to starting my piece for the exchange through Primitive Hare using her Prim Atmospheres book of designs on Wednesday.  It has to be stitched and finished to be send to the recipient for it to arrive before Thanksgiving.  Mmmh!  Wonder if she means Thanksgiving in the U.S.  Just happened to think my friend in Canada celebrates in October.  At any rate the stitching will be done if not tonight by tomorrow night.  Just have to decide how to finish it.  Still pondering that as I don't know the person I'm sending it to so have no idea of their likes or dislikes.  Makes me wonder what the most popular finish is for a stitch gift received.

Picked up this design from the framer this week.  I am so glad I went with the dark brown frame instead of the black.  The floss is a brown black so it looks awesome!  This was a project from my WIP that I decided to finish.  

Started last week with a nice day long visit with my dear friend, Harriet before she headed off to Arizona for the winter.  It was such a wonderful visit and managed to catch up on the goings on in each other's lives, lunch at our favorite pizza place - Red Rosa.  As always, the time flew by.   She knows how few pictures I actually get of myself and she helped me with my goal for this year to be in more pictures.   Look forward to another visit when she is back at Christmas.

Tuesday was a day spent cleaning house and making my Halloween displays as I was hosting book club on Friday.  I finished the Boo tree into a pillow and it is displayed on the witch's hat.

Book club was hosted and it was a delightful morning.  We discussed Mr. Churchhill's Secretary and came to the conclusion the main character, Maggie Hope, is an adult Nancy Drew.  

After book club I zipped through clean up and off to meet friends, Belinda and Mary for a trip to the quilt shop in Creston.  You see my friend, Allison had to cancel her trip due to a job layoff.  Totally understandable and am sending prayers and good thoughts her way.  As Bill was scheduled to meet Keith's bus, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for a road trip to a quilt shop.  

I came away with a perfect fabric to finish a cross-stitch of Allison's into a pillow (this is not the stitched piece - instead a quick stitch using the floss for fabric hunting).

 Some Halloween themed fabrics - couldn't resist the expressive faces of the jack-o-lanterns on this fabric. 

Plus three just because I liked the looks of them fabrics.

Couldn't resist snapping this picture driving down the highway.  Amazing I actually got it zipping along at 65 mph.

This morning I made a quick trip (hubby had a tee time) to the Planned Parenthood Book Sale at the Fairgrounds.  It was time to check out when the piles of books in my arms was so high the top book kept falling off.  BONUS:  Today was 50% off price day so I got out of there for less than $20.

 I was quite intrigued by this book of hand stitched boxes and can't wait to try my had at a couple.

I did not find any books on my list but found a few treasures none-the-less.  I decided to reread Dan Brown's Lost Symbol after our recent visit to Washington DC.  Thought it would be more fun to read now that I've seen some of the places talked about in the book.  Also, with my love of history thought it would be fun to read the Almanac of American History.  The way it is broke down into events by date and the fact that they are only a paragraph long for the event it would be easy to incorporate some reading each day.

 Couldn't resist a few charts in the hobby section as well.  I love the Clown Alphabet.  

Currently reading next month's book club selection The Passing Bells (Phillip Rock) as well as The Race (Clive Cussler) and Isaac's Storm (Erik Larson).  I have a couple of new books on my wish list to read which are Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields by Wendy Lower and Fallen Women by Sandra Dallas.