Exchange Received from the Netherlands

After finally braving the trip home from MD after the ice storm Thursday evening, I arrived to find a package waiting for me in my mailbox from the Netherlands. I couldn't wait to get inside and open it up. Here's what Willeke stitched up for me and the goodies she sent as well.





She sent me some lovely squares. I love the hearts, Willeke! They're just the right shade of pink for my taste, a little bit on the darker side :). She also sent me some wonderful soap and some hand dyed threads ... I will have to find some sort of Navy project to use these on. I love the colors you picked out for me. Thank you for the beads as well. I am currently working on my first project that incorporates beads (the stocking) so I hope to do many more.

Speaking of the stockings, I have finally taken a picture of it currently. I finished most of the middle about a month or so ago and so moved on to the bottom. It had gotten pushed aside by other projects and work related stuff but I had some time to work on it this past long weekend. I am really enjoying this project ... can't wait to finish and get started on the second one for me :). I really love Joan Elliot's designs.



I have also made some good progress on the dolphin's for my husband. I was finally able to take a picture of them. Hopefully I'll get a chance to finish them, other than the date, while he's gone. In case you're wondering, which I'm sure many of you are, this is the pin that he will get once he is qualified in submarines ... they are called dolphins (I believe it's a dolphin fish not the mammal). I plan on stitching his name and the date he qualified underneath them once I finish. I added a bit to my stash to accomplish this ... I decided to pick up a book of alphabets. I picked it up at Joann's as well as some more fabric for finishes. I thought about getting some floss while it was on sale, but didn't have a good list with me of what I might need or what I was running out of.



I will leave you with a picture of a sunrise out in the Atlantic from the last time I was underway on my ship. I hope you enjoy it :)

Tagged by C in DC :)

Like C in DC I haven't been tagged before. So first, the rules:

THE RULES:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

1. There is something about graduation for me ... I graduated 50 years to the day after my grandmother did from high school. I also graduated exactly 24 years after my dad from the US Naval Academy.
2. In another random date fact, my parents', my in laws' and our anniversary are all on the 29th of the month (three different months).
3. I had the opportunity to spend a month circumnavigating Great Britain with the Oxford University Royal Naval Unit when I was in college (where by the way I met one of my current roommates on my ship ... she was the other American).
4. My grandparents used to take my sister and I on trips around the country ... on these trips I learned how to cross stitch, play poker, cribbage and ma jong.
5. I like to name my pets after famous people (Disney and Shakespeare).
6. Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies ... it's also the movie that I will put on when I am fighting insomnia and can't fall asleep.
7. I've sung in various choirs and music groups pretty consistently since I was about 6 (but prefer not to sing by myself).

Now for the tags ...
1. C - not C in DC
2. Hope
3. Emily
4. Andrea
5. Vanessa
6. Barbara
7. Nicole

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Fair Square Exchange Round 5

Well, round 5 is off to the Netherlands. I will post pics once I find out that Willeke has received her package (I don't want to ruin the surprise). So that's my second finish of the year.

Other than that, I started working on the dolphins for my husband a few days ago. It's coming along nicely ... no pics since it's a surprise for him and he's home at the moment. I will hopefully have some pics of it next week. I haven't been around much recently ... the navy has been keeping me busy. Hope all is going well for you out in blogland. Have a great Saturday!