I'm bad

Yes, I am still here. Just been a little preoccupied with non-stitching life lately since returning home from Las Vegas. The trip to Vegas was great. On the business side of this...it is always fun meeting up with other Edible Arrangement Franchisees to hear about what they are doing, how their business is going and to share our successes & failures in hopes that we can learn from each other. On the mother-son-travel-together part of the trip...it was an amazing experience to share the Franchise convention with Robert. He was allowed to attend many of the meals, which typically had a presentation that went along with it, as well as the vendor trade show. He, too, learned a lot about how other franchisees from around the USA and the world run their stores. It was just a great weekend.

What goes on in Las Vegas....stays in Vegas :)

The display inside the Belagio Casino

Another part of the display inside the Belagio Casino

 But arriving back home there was boys' hockey to deal with as well as the day-n-day-out of running our stores. And I am getting ready to depart California again with my older son, Robert. We are leaving this coming Sunday and heading out to the East Coast...the great Northeast section of the USA to be exact. It is time to start visiting colleges and we definitely have a busy itinerary set....

We start out in Maine - visiting Bowdoin and Colby...heading down to Massachusetts - visiting Amherst and Williams...and then ending up at Middlebury, Vermont for the last 3 days where he will be attending a college hockey camp there. It is all very exciting and does take a lot of planning. I plan to take my computer so I can blog about our adventure of college visits.

I did, however, get a few X's crossed on LHM "Monthly Sampler - March" while flying to and from Las Vegas a few weeks ago, but having sat my butt down long enough to get any crossed lately. Here is a status photo for your enjoyment :)

Well, time to go fix dinner...

Until next time...take care and remember,

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Hello From Las Vegas

Hello from Las Vegas...I am here for the Edible Arrangements Franchise Convention, which takes place at the Aria Hotel & Convention Center this weekend. My older son, Robert, has accompanied me. We left from the Oakland Airport around 12:30pm and landed here around 2:00pm. Right to the hotel we taxied so we would check in, get our room and register for the convention.

This is the view out my hotel window

We collected our "goody bag" at the convention registration counter. It was filled with some great EA stuff: notebook w/pen, sunscreen, mints, magnet, water bottle, new T-Shirt and a great new bag to carry it all home.

The contents of my EA "goody bag". I love the new convention T-Shirt. I am in the chocolate dipped strawberry group.

Once we were all registered for the convention...it was time to change into our workout clothing, to get in a little workout and get our appetite ready for a BIG splurge. Tonight, the night before the convention started, we decided the we would do a Mother-Son dinner at:

Gordon Ramsey Steak

Paris Casino - Las Vegas

OMG! Was this a meal to die for! Here is what we had (make sure that you have a napkin to wipe the drip from your mouth)...

BREAD

Left to Right: Butter with blackened sea salt; 2 pieces of walnut/olive bread;
Middle/Front: Truffle roll
Middle/Back: Panchetta roll
Right: 2 pieces of lemon focaccia with drizzle of olive oil 

APPETIZERS 

My Choice: Shrimp Cocktail -
tiger prawns, "flavors" of cocktail sauce, celery leaves and sea foam 

Robert's choice: Pea Soup
carrot custard, English pea-mint mash, crispy iberico jamon 

 Salad/2nd Course

Robert's Choice: Smoked Beef Tartare -
lemon zest, red onion, capers, guinness infused mustard seeds, yukon gold herb chips

My Choice: Market Green Salad -
butter lettuce, crisp pancetta, market greens, shropshire blue cheese, tomato raisins,  green goddess dressing

 MAIN COURSE

My Choice: Ahi Tuna -
seared Ahi Tuna (medium rare), served over purple cauliflower puree, with an olive/cauliflower tapinade 

Robert's Choice - Signature Dish: Beef Wellington -
glazed root vegetables, potato puree, red wine demi glace

Robert's Side Dish Choice...Mac and Cheese -
blue, cheddar, parmesan, truffle (definitely not Kraft and definitely didn't come from the blue box)

 AND THE FINALE...DESSERT!

Robert's choice: Sticky Toffee Pudding -
sweet pudding cake, brown sugar toffee, brown butter ice cream

My Choice: Apple Tart Tatin -
Golden puff pastry, caramelized apples, Marzipan filling, cinnamon ice cream

It was an amazing dinner. Eating all of this food...this rich, rich, rich food will leave one in a deep, deep, deep food coma!

Post-meal coma

Well, time to sign off so I can get some sleep. Gotta wake up early tomorrow in order to workout - work off the meal and get ready to start the day fresh, ready to learn and listen to all my fellow franchisees.

Take care...until next time, remember...

Live, Laugh, Love, and Stitch Often!

Lisa

A stitch and a run

Wow, it has been awhile since I have posted. Yes, I have been a little busy. It seems that the boys' hockey summer camps and our stores have been keeping all of us on the go. If I am not dipping strawberries and other yummy fruits into chocolate, I am driving down to the hockey rink. Oh, well, guess it just means that life is good and all is well...right?

However I have found some time recently to do a few of my favorite things: Stitching and Running.

Ok, I'll start out with the stitching. I have started LHN's "Sampler Months - March".

LHN "Sampler Months - March"

Sorry about the pathetic photo. I am sitting at the rink as I type this and I needed a status photo for the post. Once I get the border of this month done, the inside should go pretty quick. For the design inside has nice "big" areas of stitching, which make it go fast :)

On the running side of my life...I wasn't able to get in any miles the beginning of last week because DH was out of town and I had to be at the stores. But as soon as he got home, I was able to get outside and get in some miles. I got the running bug several years ago when my older son started to participate on his high school track team (when he was a freshman). He runs every spring - it is a great way to get involved in school sports and to keep in shape when the hockey season is over.

Anyway, I had an awesome run today. I did a total of 15.1 miles. 12 of those miles I ran consecutively...meaning I didn't walk. However, as soon as my iPhone app told me I made it to 12, I needed to do a little walking. I was getting sore.

"Happy Dance"...12 miles in less than 2 hours. It's been a long time since I have made it this far without walking. 

My total mileage...15.18 miles in a little over 2.5 hours. Yahoo! 

 Not too shabby for an old lady :)

Well, time to sign off and pick up the needle! I have 1hour and 20 minutes to get in some stitching.

Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

A little weekend update - stitching and more :)

Hello and Happy Sunday. I hope everyone's weekend is going well. We have been having a nice and relaxing weekend...and definitely enjoying the weather. The heat wave seemed to have snapped Thursday evening, for Friday's high temps were in the low 70's. That was over a 25 degree drop in temps. We have since opened the windows and turned off the air conditioner, giving it a well deserved break until the next heat wave hits the Bay Area.

We haven't really done much around here this weekend; just feels good to veg-out with the family. I have fired up the grill a couple of times making BBQ pork chops, chicken and beef kabobs over the weekend to ensure the boys are getting their fill of lean proteins - something every growing boy needs - as well as fresh vegetables and fruits. It is nice to have time to sit and visit during family meals. 

During our relaxing weekend, I have been able to "basically" finish up February from LHN's Sampler Months Series. 

And here is January and February together...

Next up...March.

I just want to say that our thoughts and prayers are being sent to those families who were affected by the Asiana Airlines Flight 214. It really was strange being somewhat near the city that this crash occurred. We fly out of San Francisco airport periodically for hockey travel (SFO is one of our choices to fly in/out of...sometimes we fly out of Oakland and other times San Jose. It is nice to have 3 airports so close together when comparing prices)...and to think that airport is only 40miles away. When the crash occurred, we did experience several big commercial jets fly over our area as their were redirected to the other airports. With my DH and older son, Robert, leaving on Thursday for another hockey event, I find myself getting a little anxious about their travel.

Anyway, time to sign off. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Happy July...turn on the airconditioning and stitch, until the frogs visit

Summer seems to have arrived with a vengeance! It is HOT. When one goes outside, it feels like you have walked into a blast-furnace. Not that I have entered a blast-furnace; but if I did, I am sure that this is what it would feel like. Our poor airconditioner, it seems to be working over time. We have shut all the blinds to keep the direct sunlight out of the house and turned up the thermostat to 72-73 degrees.

Anyway, all my boys came home from Colorado last Thursday evening. Everyone had a terrific time. My DH and older son, Robert, enjoyed hiking in the mountains and fishing for trout; while my younger son, Matthew, enjoyed his time at the hockey development camp he attended. And I? Well, I enjoyed my days working in the store, my early evenings vegging at the house waiting for the stores to close - which signify that all the deliveries were made and everything is ok - and my nights catching up on my netflix TV shows.

Anyway, we are kind of back to normal...with a little different routine as the boys are now attending a hockey clinic from 8-1 four days a week which my DH and I are balancing with the business.

Nevertheless, over this last weekend, since it was just too hot to go outside and do anything, we did have a quiet weekend and I got some stitching done. Out came LHN's "Sampler Months" - February.

Well, on Sunday afternoon, I thought I was doing well. I got the February border basically complete and started on the inside...finished the row of hearts and then started on the next row...almost completed it and then realized I stitched it in the WRONG color. It was NOT suppose to be snowball (white)...it WAS suppose to be stitched using the color Joshua Tree (medium green). 

UGH!

Oh Bother...time to...

And rip that darn white I did...and immediately threaded my needle with the Joshua Tree and within a few minutes...

Phew! That is what it is suppose to look like. Wow, now it is right! Now I can move to the next part.

Well, hopefully I have sent the frogs a'packing, keeping their visit short and sweet!

Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Saturday Show & Share...Stitching & Stash

Happy Saturday...Happy Summer!

Yesterday afternoon I dropped off ALL my boys at the airport and then, for some reason, found myself and my LNS - Needle in a Haystack. As soon as the testosterone was out of my automobile, my car had a mind of its own and headed right for the needlework shop. Fancy how that happens :)

It was fun crusin' through all the fabrics and floss, patterns and accessories. I haven't visited NIAH in quite a long time. And, as it happens so often, a pattern...some fabric...and a little bit of floss jumped into the basket and gave my credit card a little work out. Here is the new stash I got and the new project that I decided to take on:

SamSarah "In My Garden" - Chapter One
Belfast Country Blue 32ct and some of the Crescent Colours called for

I have been seeing this SamSarah series on the SamSarah Facebook page as well as on a couple of blogs. I love the colors and the flowers. Unfortunately, NIAH only had the 1st chapter and a few of the floss colors. I did, as soon as I got back home, order the remaining Chapters (note: there are 6 chapters to this series; 1-4 have been published, 5 & 6 will be out later this year) and the missing Crescent Colours from www.123stitch.com. 

In addition to this project, I have also received the first part of the newest LHN Mystery Series called "Song of the Seasons":

Little House Needleworks Mystery Sampler - "Song of the Seasons" Part 1
35ct Straw and Weeks Dye Works Floss

So now my "to do stitch" list has increased...but with the boys out of town and only the stores to take care of, I have been able to sit and stitch. Last night I picked up "Sampler Months" and started on the border of February...

You can see that I have basically finished January. The February border is the white squares and medium green (dashes). It would be cool if I could finish the border tonight.

Well, just heard from ALL my boys. Matthew (the youngest) will be dropped off at Colorado College where he will be participating in the 2013 Western Regional Hockey showcase. He will be assigned a team and a roommate; from today until Thursday he will be rooming with another hockey player in a dorm room. He will be skating 2x a day - a morning practice and an afternoon game, as well as doing other team-type of activities. It is a really neat opportunity for him. While he is there, I am not sure what DH and Robert (older son) will be doing. They did plan to drive to Southern Colorado to do a little fishing and hiking, but the place that they had reservations is in the middle of some wildfires and has been evacuated. So, they might end up hanging around Colorado Springs the entire time. As long as they are safe!

Well, time to take off and get in some X's. Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Catching up time...a trip to Iowa with Robert and Matthew's graduation from Middle School

I know...it has been quite a while since I have written. It has been a very busy few weeks. Last time I posted, I was getting ready to leave for Dubuque, Iowa with my older son, Robert. He was invited to attend the USHL main camp for the junior hockey team called the Dubuque Fighting Saints. On the evening of June 4, Robert and took a red-eye from San Francisco to Dubuque, Iowa - departing at 11:54pm and landing in Dubuque at 10am the next day (note: Iowa is 2 hours later than California). 

Upon arrival at the little, teeny, tiny airport, we collected our luggage, got our rental car and proceeded right to the hotel to check in and go to bed for awhile. But only a while mind you because Robert needed to get a bite to eat and then go to the hockey rink to participate in an optional skate lead by the coach of the Fighting Saints. The next couple of days, Robert played 4 hockey games in front of the coaching staff and evaluators for the Fighting Saints. There were a total of 160 players there "trying out" for spots on the USHL team. Unfortunately, Robert didn't make the All-Star team, but he did have a good showing at the camp.

The weekend was filled with lots of hockey, lots of eating and lots of sleeping...the typical hockey weekend :) However, many times while Robert was napping, I took that opportunity to walk around downtown Dubuque.

The downtown area had some wonderful houses to look at:

There were also some really neat buildings:

In addition to buildings and houses, there were these turtles around the downtown area...

 The turtles were part of a fund raising project for the National Mississippi Museum and Aquarium that was located a few blocks from our hotel...right on the Mississippi River. They just opened up a turtle exhibit. On the last day of our trip, when Robert was done with the hockey camp, he and I decided to go to the Aquarium and take a look at the turtles...

 as well as check out the museum...

Here I am posing with Mark Twain, who is reading to me about Tom Sawyer :)

It was a great weekend! I had a lot of fun "hanging out" with my older son. It hit me, as I was with him, that times like this are priceless for in a little over a year he will be going away to college or playing for a jr hockey team. Hard to believe.

And speaking of time "marching on"...my younger son, Matthew, was just "promoted" from middle school and will be attending high school next year. Last week was the last week of school, which ended with the promotion ceremony. My parents were visiting from Minnesota and were able to see Matthew receive his certificate of completion from middle school and go out to dinner to celebrate.

Steve, Me, My Father and Mother...sitting down is Robert (older son) and Matthew (younger son). The restaurant we were at gave Matthew a scoop of raspberry sorbet with a candle in honor of his promotion. 

Well, with all the activities going on, I really haven't found much time to sit my duff down and stitch. Hopefully the needle will soon find its way to my hand and I will find time to put some X's in The Monthly Sampler!

Thanks for dropping by! Until next time...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!
Lisa

And Monday arrives, yet again - but with a little show & tell for you!

Well, happy Monday! While the weekend was somewhat busy with one hockey related activity and a little business activity, I did find time to sit my behind down on the couch and put in some "X's" in January of the Monthly Sampler project I am working on. I am just about finished with this month - just need to stitch the work "January" between the snow banks and add a little light green confetti stitching to the borders.

Monthly Sampler - January by LHN

I am itching to start "February"...so I don't know if I have the patience to do the confetti stitching...maybe I will do that after "February" is complete...and before I move onto "March/April". Hmmm.

This is the perfect project to keep in my travelling bag (everyone always wants to know why I carry such a large bag and/or backpack...answer: "I am always ready to jump on a plane for hockey travel or just ready to sit at the hockey rink") for it consist of several small samplers, which are typically fun to stitch and quick.

Speaking of travelling...I will be taking the red-eye tomorrow evening with Robert, my older son. He received an invite to the main/tryout camp of the USHL Jr Team - Dubuque Fighting Saints. We will be taking the 11:45pm flight from here Tuesday evening and landing in Dubuque, Iowa at 9am Wednesday morning. Anyone know of a stitching store in Dubuque? :)

This is an exciting step for Robert, even though it doesn't come at a great time...he will be missing 3 days of school during the week right before finals. Both my boys don't get out of school until June 13/14. For Matthew (younger son),  he won't have much instruction or finals these last weeks, for as an 8th grader much of the time will be spent celebrating the end of middle school...however, Robert will be missing some final instructions while in Iowa before his finals next Tuesday-Thursday. Oh, well, his teachers have been very supportive of his hockey activities and have helped to make sure that he gets the information needed and time to make up the work he misses. So all is good.

Hope all is well and I thank you for visiting today. Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa