Veni, vidi, vici...

Well, my friends, it is finished. My biggest cross-stitch piece to date, my baby, my pride and joy Roman mosaic. Not to brag, but I think it is bloody fantastic. The background didn't take as long as feared, which is really also true of the whole project. Before I started it seemed a daunting thing, perhaps in part because it is from a piece of art which I absolutely adore so I was fearful of not doing it justice.

The background is done in a mixture of five different shades and I tried to make it so some sections had more grey, some had more dark green, some had more teal, etc... I wish pictures did it justice because the background colors and the half-stitching contrasting with the full cross stitches just looks brilliant.

Finishing it really energized me too and I've gotten a good start on my newest project. I hope to open up a second Etsy shop in a few months which will be solely needlework and needlework patterns. This new project might be a pattern that I'll eventually sell, though I'm not sure there will be enough interest. I should have a WIP picture of it to post tomorrow. I've also finished a cross-stitch Tintin pattern, which when finished may go to my toddler nephew who loves Tintin.

Here in Charleston we had a few days of clear, dry weather before snow came again. It just seems to accumulate so quickly these days! One minute the sun is out and a few hours later I'm going to bed and notice that there's two inches of snow on the ground. I finally have a car again after about five years of rarely driving and of course that means it's going to snow all the time. Because I haven't driven regularly in so long, and because other drivers are all crazy, I haven't been leaping at the chance to drive on snow covered roads.

On the upside I have been extremely productive lately. Cross-stitch, washing dishes, loads of cleaning, etc... It's especially amazing as yesterday I received my last Christmas present - a Kindle! I grew up libraries and have always loved the feel and smell of books as much as the reading of them, so I was never lusting for a Kindle (or for their effect on book stores and libraries). However, I just can't hold the books anymore and a Kindle means I can read more since I don't have to solely rely on audio books. It will take getting used to, but I think it will be a good addition to my life. I feel quite grand when I'm reading on it.