Author: Anne S

Brightening my life one stitch or one card at a time, and sharing my joy of needlework and card-making.
Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Some days just suck…

Anne S

Today has been a mixed bag of emotions for me – and quite frankly a day I don’t ever want to repeat … ever!  I was going to put a ‘real’ mini-spit on my Facebook status, but remembered my boss and work colleagues are friends on there, so I thought better about giving any details … and I may remove this little vent in a day or two as well …

I had a major melt-down at work this morning, and have spent the day apologising for it.  I haven’t truly enjoyed my job for some time now … partly due to some of the larger than life personalities I have had to work with, and in some small part due to the job itself.  Anyway, one guy in particular I have major issues with … and this morning it came to a head in a major collision kinda way 😦

For about 1 1/2 years now I’ve put up with him arguing with everything I say – every time he’s asked me for work advice I’ve offered my opinion and he immediately starts arguing and questioning my response.  Initially it was just downright irritating, but over time I’ve started to take it personally … and every time I interract with him I brace myself for a confrontation, because 99% of the time he disagrees with everything I have to say – and I feel as though my opinion is of no value whatsoever.  Added to that fact is that I also know of an extra-marital affair he’s had – which hasn’t helped to garner any respect from me, as that’s something I’m incredibly against … but I haven’t addressed my concerns with his arguing with me, to ensure that my feelings against him haven’t been influenced by my issues with his personal affairs … even though I know it hasn’t been an influence, because I’ve been frustrated with his attitude since well before I knew about his affair.

Anyway, when I first arrived into the office this morning I was super perky and joking with my boss that I was in super early … I also found out that I’d got the secondment I’d applied for … I felt really good after my week off …

Then I had my first meeting of the day with my boss, the guy I have the issue with, and a new colleague.  My boss eventually left the room to allow us to discuss a plan of attack for some work we need to complete by the end of this week … as “the guy” never pipes up first, I offered a suggestion to start the ball rolling, using the experience I’d just gained on doing a similar job over the last month or so with my latest project – no sooner had I opened my mouth and completed my first proposal, he started up with an entirely opposite viewpoint and belittled my suggestion because he didn’t see the point … after trying to explain further, he just kept reiterating his standpoint … anyway, after 18 months of build-up I finally cracked under the pressure and told him he was the most argumentative and frustrating person I’ve ever had to deal with, and that I’d had enough … I was sick of arguing and no longer gave a sh*t – that he could just tell me how he wanted to do it and I’d follow his orders.  All I wanted to do was to get away from him … so I went fuming back to my desk …

Then I got called straight into another meeting with my boss, and blurted out to him that he’d best know I just spat the dummy with this guy with a few minor details of what went off.  He offered to follow-up, but I said it was my issue and I was a big girl and would deal with it … so I spent the next few hours building up the courage inbetween building up a migraine to go and apologise for my outburst …

Which I eventually did … after almost making myself throw up with the stress of it all (I soooo hate confrontation and addressing personal issues), I bit the bullet and called him into a meeting room, and apologised for my outburst, but then opened up and explained how he had made me feel for the last 18 months, and that I feel on defence as soon as I walk into a room with him because I know I’m going to be personally attacked within minutes.  Anyway, let’s just say we had a lengthy discussion … and I guess it’s helped to clear the air, and perhaps our communication will be more open in the future.  I need to stop letting my feelings about his personal issues impact on my handling of work issues so they don’t escalate like this again – and I need to say more quickly when things are impacting on me …

He did admit that sometimes my point is the right one – and that recently when I ignored his feedback and just went with my gut instinct and did what I wanted anyway, the outcome results were all positive …  (I do have to admit to driving home mentally thumbing my nose at him, because I was proven right … childish, but oh so satisfying at the time!)

I still think he’s a dick-head, and I have no respect for him personally, but I have to work with him closely even in my new role (although hopefully not as closely as we do now), and if nothing else today we accepted that we both view situations in a totally different perspective, and that I view the picture as a “whole”, and look at the larger sphere of the issue and “what could be”, whereas he looks at a tiny portion of the issue and keeps his focus there so doesn’t understand when I come to him from a whole different perspective.  So from that side of things, perhaps communication will improve dramatically from here on in … workwise …

I had to de-brief my boss at the end of the day with the outcome – and I was told that I was very courageous to handle it the way I had by taking ownership of the issue and making the first move … and that he was really proud of how I handled it.  I can’t say I felt particularly proud when I was losing my bottle first thing this morning, but I suppose I have learned some valuable life lessons … I know not to let emotions sit building up for 18 months, and explode in a heartbeat, but to walk away when we reach an impasse, and return to it once we’ve both calmed down …

Even as old as I am, life is all about learning, I guess … I can’t say I’m looking forward to work again tomorrow, but the weekend is only 4 days away …  And even though it’s probably been good to clear the air today …

The fact still remains that today has been a day that truly sucked!! 😦

Beading, Boo Club, Cross Stitch, Lizzie Kate, scissor fobs, Works in Progress

Sick flatmate

Anne S

Alas, since lunchtime I’d ‘had’ to keep my flatmate and best pal Katie company in the lounge while she’s been suffering from a dodgy tummy from Vanuatu – it was a major hardship having to sit in my stitching chair for 8 or so hours while we watched all the TV shows that have been taping in her absence … which means there’s finally a stitchy progress photo!  Only one more week and this little puppy will be finito!  As you can see from the bottom piccie, I’ve now turned the corner for the bottom band of the border 😀

On Saturday morning I managed to get a couple of items into the post – my first PIF on it’s way finally … and this little gift to someone else – fingers crossed the recipients like their gifts 🙂

Tomorrow I’ll find out whether I have got the new 12 month secondment position or not … after I drop off my 90+ year old neighbour off at the airport for her next Queensland holiday … that’ll keep me in the good books for a while longer LOL.  And seeing as I need to leave home an hour earlier than normal to do that, I’d better get my A into G and get into bed!!! 😀

Cross Stitch

Bad bad clicky finger…

Anne S

After drooling over Elizabethan Treasures for the last two days, I jumped online to check out prices of the Soie Cristale … turns out SB&B has a Mother’s Day sale at the moment, and the price is over AU$10 cheaper to buy it from there including the US$13 in postage costs!  Let’s just say that I was very very naughty and now have 5 skeins of Soie Cristale on its way, along with a couple of Crescent Colours, GAST and WDW I needed … so much for going on the Wagon!  Ahem …  Although, in my defence I’m not actually buying charts! 😛

And one of the other ways to fulfil my current desire to branch out beyond cross stitch again is to drag out my EGA correspondence course books … and I’m going to attempt to start the beginners Hardanger course … such a shame I have to go back to work, I’m soooo in the mood to start some serious stitching, and when I get home from work I’m so knackered I have no energy … oh well, that’s what the weekends are for, huh? 🙂

Cross Stitch, Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Stashing not stitching

Anne S

I’ve had the BEST time over the last couple of days cleaning out my stitching stash – while it’s not over yet, I’ve found a bunch of designs that I really want to stitch soon!  And funnily enough many of the designs are non-XS … I have a major urge to start picking up some different techniques once again – some counted thread, some not so counted.  For instance, I’m starting to get the urge to finish off some old stumpwork UFOs (dunno how long that will last, though LOL) … and I really, really want to stitch this one – unfortunately, though, I don’t have the Soie Cristale thread or it would have been kitted up last night (and it needs 4 whole skeins)!!! 😀  This is “Elizabethan Treasures” by Linda Barry.

I have a bunch of older charts that I might end up putting up on Ebay – I haven’t sold anything on there yet, so I’m a bit nervous about setting up the sale pages and working out postage details in particular, but it has to be done sooner or later I guess – anything that doesn’t sell over the next couple of months (either via trade/sale on my blog or via Ebay) will probably get ditched.  Unfortunately the joys of living in an apartment means clutter is much more noticeable and it really is time I culled back on things that I’m just not going to stitch, as much as I still love looking at the charts.  The only designs that have been safe from culling have been my Mirabilia and Teresa Wentzler designs – I have almost all of the TW designs, and even though I’ll never stitch them I do like to flick through every now and then 🙂

Since I’ve been getting all enthused about different stitching techniques, I’ve been thinking that  many of the new techniques that I want to try are very do-able as pincushions, and I’ve found many projects within the Embroidery & Cross Stitch and Inspirations magazines that will fulfil that urge nicely.  I thought I’d share some of the little projects that made me smile and that I’d love to attempt … and believe me, this is just teensy weensy sampling – there are many, many, many more … these are predominantly from Embroidery & XS and Inspirations magazines in my stash.

For now, I’m off to finish off Katie’s birthday cake – she’s due home tonight, and I’ve decided last minute to bake a chocolate cake for her … I must like her a LOT, ‘cos I don’t bake for anyone normally! 😉  Unfortunately, though, I didn’t check the pantry before I went shopping this morning, and I’ve run out of icing sugar … guess that means yet another trip over to the shops – luckily it’s only a 5 minute walk away 😀

And seeing as we’ll hopefully be spending most of the day watching TV tomorrow, I might even have a stitching update by the end of the weekend … maybe … 😀

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Stitching? What’s that???

Anne S

Alas on my days off work this week I’ve only put a couple of hours into the border of Boo Club – since the last time I posted I haven’t put in a single stitch anywhere, so therefore no stitching update.

I also notice that I’ve also been too busy to put up my daily photos this week – thanks to Mum for reminding me on the phone that I haven’t posted all week!  So, what on earth have I been doing with myself???  After trying to do this on two separate occasions after taking time off work in order to complete it, I ended up failing miserably due to illness the first time and unexpected visitors the second time … so third time is the charm … I’ve been unpacking my ‘junk’ boxes that have still been sitting in my bedroom after 2 years of living in Sydney (ahem, cough …).  Here’s a sneak look at the end result – a few empty boxes (I think I’ve cleaned out 5-6 in total but didn’t think you’d want to see more photos of empty boxes LOL).

I’ve also been clearing out Embroidery & Cross Stitch magazines and patchwork magazines in an attempt to make some room – I’ve been (shock, horror) pulling out pages that interest me and putting them into a ringbinder instead … and scanning the projects into a little mini directory/photo album so I can flick through at a glance to see what takes my fancy (including those that are still intact in their magazines, such as my Inspirations issues) – some things I’m only interested in how they’re finished, but some projects I’d really love to try out … one day before I turn 100.  I’ve already taken one big bag full down to the rubbish bin, and here is another one ready to go down and join its mates!

That’s pretty much all I’ve been doing this week, and have really really enjoyed it.  I’ve been listening to Audiobooks and watching old DVDs at the same time and every now and then jumping online to play a game or three.  Alas, the fun is about to end and it’s back to work again on Monday – and the pile of books etc will be a work in progress for some time yet, but I’ve made a huge inroad to the mess in my bedroom and it should start looking like an actual bedroom by the end of 2010 😛

The other wee job I finally finished today was to re-label my little cottage spice jars – I’ve had these for years and years sitting unused in my parents garage … when I went home for the funeral in February I brought them all home with me, and started filling them up.  Unfortunately there were a number of labels that I just don’t use (such as dried garlic and onion), so I had to wait to buy a pile of batteries for my labelling machine and voila they’re all finished and ready to be used.  The only one I cocked up slightly is the Mixed Herbs label – it’s a bit cock-eyed but it’ll do 😉  I just adore this little set of cottages, and it’s so lovely to finally see them out of their boxes all these years later! 😀  (Haha, I just noticed you can just see a peek of my glass leadlight duck hiding behind it!)

xxx

Cross Stitch, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Movies

Weeks Dye Works – retired threads

Anne S

A recent blog post referred to the fact that WDW were discontinuing one of their threads used in a particular design, and that we should look at stocking up now while it’s still available … I couldn’t access the link that was provided as it was to the retailer’s page, so I wrote an email to WDW asking how to obtain the information.  Just to put everyone’s minds at rest, the following is the response I received from Cathy at WDW this morning:

“Good afternoon Anne – we have never discontinued colors but we do retire colors. This means that we just simply take the color out of the main collection of floss. The retired colors WILL ALWAYS be available, they just simply appear on the “retired list.” We are striving to keep the order form at 1 page and in order to add new colors, we need to retire the ones that don’t sell as many as the rest.

I do apologize for any confusion. On our web site under FORMS, there are pages titled “retired colors 6-strand floss” and “retired pearls.”

Please let me know if I can further assist you. But please, do not panic as we have never discontinued any colors in our line that go away forever. Have a great week!”

Yippee, that’s great news I think – nice to know their threads only go into ‘semi-retirement’ 😀

As for my own stitching, there’s not much to show really – I managed to complete a tiny bit more of the Boo Club border last night, and another hour will see me able to roll up the scrollbars to a new section … I’ll hold off taking another progress piccie until I’ve done that and more critters have their little buttons sewn on 🙂  I’m going to continue with this one tonight, and in fact may continue until it’s finished … but who knows, tomorrow is another day 😛

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with an extremely hunky young man (very sexy, but very gay LOL), and we went to get a Robert Downey Jnr fix at IMAX in Darling Harbour – Iron Man 2.  Loved, loved, LOVED it!!!  OK, admittedly part of the fact is that I’ve always been a huge fan of Mr Downey, ever since seeing him blitz the screen in Charlie Chaplin … but I seriously do love these movies.  A blend of humour, great characters, special effects, a fun storyline, and a lot of JDJ – what more could a girl want?  This is another one to add to the DVD collection when it is eventually released – an awesome way to spend the afternoon on your day off! 😀

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Lizzie Kate

30th birthday gift

Anne S

Obviously the 30th birthday gift isn’t one I’ve received, as I’m an old coot now … but tonight I managed to put the final stitches into one of the gifts I’m giving Katie for her 30th birthday on Wednesday. I still have to get it framed while she’s away, or turn it into a flatfold, but she’ll hopefully come home to it in some sort of finished version anyway!

LizzieKate-Cindarella is Proof
“Cinderella is Proof” by Lizzie*Kate
stitched on 32ct Limestone hand-dyed Lugana by Countrystitch
with DMC threads

I hope she likes it … she’s crazy about shoes, so as soon as I saw this one I knew I had to stitch it at some stage for her.  Anyway, even if it’s not her ‘cup of tea’, she also has a $30 voucher for JB Hi-Fi and a lovely green glass pendant that I bought at the recent craft show with Alison and Amanda, so I’m sure she’ll be happy 😀

Boo Club, Cross Stitch, Lizzie Kate, Theme Thursday, Theme Thursday, Works in Progress

Theme Thursday – and a WIP

Anne S

I haven’t been following the Theme Thursday meme very long, but I decided to finally do one of them – as the theme doesn’t get published until the Sunday beforehand, by the time we get it ‘down under’ it’s already Monday – then I’m at work and leaving when it’s dark … it basically means I have to have a photo to do with the theme in my files already, which isn’t always the case … but this time I do, so I thought I would … join in, that is! 😀

This week’s “Theme Thursday” theme is “Bicycle”. Here’s an old penny farthing bike at Timbertown.

2008 06 04_0541

In other news, I picked up my needle as planned last night, while Katie and I caught up on a few of our favourite shows – I got burnt out early at work and decided to skive off 1/2 hour earlier than normal and managed to leave just as the sun was going down (geez it felt good leaving in semi-daylight!). Anyway the night was spent with Supernatural, Flash Forward, Bones, Castle, Greys Anatomy … phew! What a difference it makes to the length of a program when taking all the adverts out – love love LOVE my TiVo! 😀

I opted to pick up Boo Club again, and put the wee buttons on the first 6 blocks – managed to do a bit more of the border on each side, so it won’t be long now before I’m officially at the halfway mark (after the Creepy block) – I think I’ll keep doing this one now over the next few nights to try to get it finished (assuming I don’t get too bored and need a break from the border – although I agree that it does go pretty quickly in the scheme of things, and it’s pretty mindless to do in front of the gogglebox with no ‘real’ counting as such).  Alas my WIP photos will be boring for a while though 😛

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Feel better now …

Anne S

It’s amazing what a night’s sleep can do for you … I no longer want to pierce someone’s heart with a steak knife, and am feeling calm and stress-free-ish for the day ahead.

While I didn’t end up stitching last night, I did a fair bit of playing mindless Facebook games … then watched Kitchen Nightmares USA on TV (a show I never watch normally) … all-in-all a very lazy and very relaxing night!  (I’ll keep the Witches of Eastwick in mind Maria for the next time … because I certainly know there will be a next time – if not sooner, then in 1 month’s time! LOL).

Tonight I’ll be glued in front of the TV because Katie’s home again, so we’ll have to catch up on the shows that we both watch – I don’t watch them until we’re both home, so that’ll take us the next two nights to catch up.  Then Friday night we’re off out for Katie’s 30th birthday dinner in the city, then it’s the weekend again, and then Katie’s best friend Sam comes to stay overnight before they head off to Vanuatu for a week of birthday celebrations.  I’d requested the week off to go as well, but I can’t afford it, so I’m now in two minds about still requesting the week off to do some more finishing and also to sort out my embroidery book stash to clear everything out.  Maybe some time out from work will be good for me too!

Rightio, time to get dressed for another day at the sweat shop … if nothing else at least I’ll get those last 19 procedures rewritten today and that’s one HUGE monkey off my back!