Put On Your Big Girl Leotard And Let The Games Begin!

Can hardly tear myself away from the Olympics on TV and on the Internet. Although the US network NBC TV is being rather stingy with letting viewers access live coverage on-line, it doesn't bother me too much. My dial-up connection is so painfully slow it would take forever to view the tiniest little clip. I was able to find some nice photos at Getty Images of all the new gymnastics stars and their lovely new leotards. it is of the utmost importance that I stay on top of this sort of stuff...not only for my job but in order to design new cross stitch pictures. Here are a few very lovely ones that have inspired me. Let the designing begin! Jade Barbosa Brazil

Anna Pavlova Russia

Shawn Johnson USA

Lauren Mitchell Australia

Thank you to Heidi, who seems to be the only responder to my "Pay It Forward". I know everyone must be very busy this time of year making gifts and doing exchanges, but I thought I would give the PIF a try. Heidi, please e-mail me your snail mail address jsutherland1@earthlink.net. I too have been pretty busy 'crafting it up' trying to get enough items ready for the craft bazaars this Autumn. Here's the nearly finished gymnast design of Ana Porgras of Romania. Need to add some back stitching to bring out the details and she also needs her balance beam to land on! Lots of ornies in the making and tons of doll clothes too. I spent 4 hours outside yesterday with the sewing machine. The weather has been absolutely amazing......more like late September the mid August. here's "Stash Part II", the Heatherfield fabrics I ordered. Hickory 16, Chili Pepper 16 and Starlight 16. A gentle breeze and 73 degrees F. Even the pets seem to want to sit in the sun these days, rather then hiding from it. Here I am with the whole gang. Elliot on my lap, Coal down front on the cushion, Alix on the table and Sammy in the chair. Coal's been up to his usual, and by "up" I really do mean up! It seems that if no one has the courtesy to get up in the middle of the night to let him in the kitchen door, he tries the next best thing...the bedroom window.

Oh my, there went another 90 minutes on the computer.