B - Disney Alphabet Cross Stitch/Wednesday Hodgepodge

Before I get started with today's stitch progress, let me first say a big whoppin' THANKS! to everyone and your kind comments! Considering the way my camera keeps picking up the flaws in my stitching, I'm not sure there is much need for praise. I'm trying to work a bit cleaner, but on top of checking other A to Z'ers and dealing with my day to day, it ain't been easy folks!

I also need to post an update on Aurora. I decided I didn't like the lettering, so I outlined the main letter and switched the other font to one strand of floss instead of two. I'm still having issues with the lack of backstitching around the characters and, looking ahead, I can see a major issue with an upcoming character's color and the white background (hope that isn't giving too much away, but anyone who knows me won't have much trouble figuring it out).

Here's Aurora's patch:

Her smaller letters look much cleaner now.

On with the "B" show...day 2 is here on my custom made cross stitch chart from CloudsFactory. Unlike "A", I didn't choose this character because of her movie and it's influence on me. I was very much against the "new" batch of Disney movies back in the day for various reasons (which I have ranted about time and time again, so no need to rehash), and this character's movie in particular has been a sore spot with me for years. It wasn't until Once Upon A Time and a re-imagining of the character did my opinion of her change and I actually started to like her (although I still have difficulty with some aspects of the animated movie). So my "B" choice, although having the appearance of the animated movie version, is actually important to me because of Once Upon A Time and the fact that she's the favorite Princess of one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world...Kate over at The Suddenly Kate Show (and you really should check out her A to Z posts as well, her theme is way better than mine!).

So, without further ado, "B" is for Belle:


I'm adding today's Wednesday Hodgepodge at the bottom of today's letter as not to confuse.



1. Since these questions are posting on the first day of April it seems only right to ask-when was the last time you did something foolish? If you can't answer that one, try this one-when was the last time someone fooled you?
I do something foolish every single day of my life and there are too many to name. People around me know not to fool me on the 1st because it's the anniversary of my beloved pup Zander's death.

2. What's the last biography or non-fiction book you've read? Was it any good?
I haven't been in the reading mood for a long time, and I rarely ever read non-fiction. I should say I read John Taylor of Duran Duran's autobiography since I won a signed copy of it from the Duran Duran fan club (and it's the only thing I've ever won in my entire life), but I haven't even touched it (well, other than to rub my hands over John's signature). The true answer is the last biography I read was Gary Barlow's autobiography and that shows how long ago it was because it was published right before Take That officially got back together. Oh, and yes, it was very good! I have since read part of Miranda Hart's, but her's wasn't a "real" autobiography, so I'm not counting it and I haven't finished it. It's the first e-book I've actually paid for and reading on a tablet is very hard for me, so I can't focus long enough to finish it without my head hurting. Give me a "real" book any day (well, a hardback anyway...I hate paperbacks).

3. Garlic-friend or foe? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?
Absolutely LOVE garlic!! Probably salsa or bruschetta is my favorite garlic dishes of all time, but I love to put it in everything. I prefer it fresh than that the crappy powdered stuff.

4. Several Spring flower festivals happen in the US during the month of April. Of those listed, which would you most like to see in person...The Skagit Tulip Festival in Skagit Washington, The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville Tennessee, The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington North Carolina or the Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts?
And just where on this list is the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot in Disney World? That would be my first choice, but if I have to choose from the list, I would have to go with the one on Nantucket...a place I've always wanted to go.

5. How do you choose which blogs to read? What is something that will make you stop and read every time? Something that makes you say, 'eh, think I'll skip this one and move on to the next'?
If I like someone's stitch work, if it's a Disney site, a fellow Asper-girl, or just something that interests me, I'll check them alot. I typically tend to stay away from writer's blogs (except for my friend Kate) because they typically take up too much time.

6. April is National Mathematics Education Month so tell us, when did you last use math?
I try very hard to never use math, but I do have to pay bills every two weeks, so I guess last payday.

7. In honor of the A-Z challenge kicking off on April 1...choose one word beginning with the letter A to describe your yesterday.
Annoying. My job isn't a very happy place for me right now.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I'm still having a terrible time at work and I blew up this morning. In the middle of blowing, I hear bagpipes faintly in the distance. At this point I'm thinking that either my Scottish blood has gotten so hot that I'm actually hearing bagpipes in my head or I've actually completely gone mental. Luckily, the co-worker I was venting to heard them as well and, when we went outside to check, someone was piping at the building next door. Yep, in the middle of bum-fudge Arkansas, on a medical street, someone is playing the bagpipes right now...needless to say, my blood pressure dropped back down to its normal level in a matter of seconds! Nothing like a piper to sooth a hot-tempered Scot!