End of May - already

Where did this month go? I've been trying to get to the blog all month, but never seem to have time. I've decided to try to work on it at the office, while reports are printing. That seems to be the only time I have right now.

I've had company staying with me most of the last two weeks. The first was my bestest friend/sister. That was vacation and even though all we did was a bit of shopping, a lot of stitching and eating, it was wonderfully restorative. I really needed that. Now, I have my daughter Jen coming on Saturday for maybe the whole next week. She's getting married in August and this Sat. is her wedding shower. Next week is her batchlerette party, and since this all happens in Michigan and she's living in Texas, she has a week to just hang out. Of course, I have to work. Also - my computer is in the guest room and I have cross stitch charts to make, so we'll have to work this out some way.

Wedding in August - my babies wedding, it's made me feel like I need to change some things. The first thing I did was cut my hair yesterday. All my adult life its been at least 12 inches long. I had 9 of those cut off yesterday. It sure feels strange, but I like the result. The stylist almost fainted. It was worse on her than me I think. I'm not sure I'm done with making changes to my life, maybe a few more little ones, we'll see.

My cross stitch design company is growing slowly. Its not a good time to start a business I know, but I hope in a year or so the economy will be better. I have a superior product and just need people to realize it. I've learned a lot from a competitor over the last few years. I bit of what TO do, mostly what not to do. I've seen them make what I consider some major mistakes in how they handle customers and the quality of their product. It makes me angry when people fall all over them on their forum, believing they are getting something that is laboriously created, taking hours and hours. They don't realize how can that be when a dozen or more charts every few days are added to the website on a consistent basis. They also believe what the website says that the charts aren't computer generated. They are, and I'd challenge them to prove otherwise.

I'm still on the lookout for a forum to join where I really feel at home. I joined the HAED board a few years ago, before it got big. I enjoyed it for a time, but, as these things do, it became cliquey. Then, things started to go wrong with disgruntled customers (rightly so, too) posting on the forum their complaints that were being ignored by the company. Said company really stomped on everyone, limiting what can and can not be said. Basically, you can gush and goo all over. If you're unhappy with anything, you can leave. To that end, a bunch of what I consider the more dynamic members did just that and started a new forum. The new board is a lot of very diverse, interesting people. The owner of the board asked me at one point to join. After some thought, I accepted. It was a private forum, so I had no idea who all the members were (I knew a few), but when I logged on, I realized why the HAED board had become so boring - all the people that had made it fun were on the new forum. So far, so good I thought.

It just hasn't worked that way for me though. There is a basic clique on that board too, and its closed to me. It hasn't helped that I've let my frustration show a few times. I hate it when I do that, but I guess I'm only human (damn). Anyway, I feel even though I haven't been banned, I've also not ingratiate myself at all. In short, I don't fit in. I also haven't found any other cross stitch forum that isn't already a group of close friends, where newcomers aren't always outsiders. No sense in starting my own - if I had cross stitch friends, I wouldn't need to make them on a forum.

So - I just stitch by myself, like I always have.

My First eBay win

I almost forgot that I won this on eBay a few days ago! It is Teresa Wentzler's Fruit Bell pull. Its been discontinued for years and I've always regretted not buying it back in the 90's. It was listed on eBayUK. I don't live in the UK, but my little Sis does and I asked her to put in a bid. It was the only bid as luck would have it, so I won! I just have to wait till J. comes over in a few weeks to visit and pay her back for it now. I don't want to stitch it as a bell pull, but as separate little pictures to make a grouping on my kitchen wall.