A Stitch In Time: January Finishes Giveaway Winner

If you think you're too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. –Betty Reese

January passed by in a flurry {yes, that was a weather-related pun} and here we are, already a third of the way through February. I'm sorry about posting the January winner late this month. I've had a lot going on at work and at home and it has taken most of my attention. There are lots of good, happy things happening and I'll share in the next little while. In the sewing department, I did have a couple of finishes in January. I finished four of the six luggage tags we used on our Disney vacation. And I have a few more finishes in sight for February. One of my favorite things about this linky party each month is visiting all of your posts and seeing the absolutely amazing things you've accomplished. Thank you to everyone who linked up in January! I wish I had a giveaway for all of you, because all of the projects are worthy of it. But I only have one prize. Grasshopper drew the winner and he pulled out number 5.

Congratulations to

Christine

at MacDonald's Patch

Christine will receive a charm pack of Daydreams by Kate Spain from The Fat Quarter Shop. Make sure you check out her cute Nine-Patch Table Runner. She also linked an adorable pair of plush elephants that are for a new addition to her clan. If you haven't browsed through the other finishes for January, take a minute and click on a few. {I highly recommend Cynthia's Trip Around the World and Lisa's Yellow and Grey quilt.}

The February Finishes Linky Party is open, so you can link up as you go throughout the month. Remember to include the February Finishes button {code found in the February post} somewhere in any post you link up. Code for a button for your sidebar can also be found at the bottom of the February post. The giveaway this month, sponsored by The Fat Quarter shop, is two adorable mini patterns by Camille Roskelley from Thimble Blossoms, Puddle Jumping and Swoon.

Today's post brought to you by:

A Stitch In Time: February Finishes Linky Party

Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.
–Goethe

We had lots of finishes in January — thank you to everyone who linked up! I finished a couple of things too! And I'm excited for another month full of potential for fun stitchy finishes! I don't know about where you live, but around here it is c.c.c.cold. Staying in and working on a good project sounds perfect right about now. I have lots of plans and hopefully my schedule will accommodate them. I can't wait to see what you all finish this month! Let the linking begin!

To participate in this month's linky party:
• Your project must be completed sometime in February 2014.
• Once you've got your project finished {as in done, finito, nothing more to add, ready to use/display/give away} with some sort of stitching in it, blog about it or post a photo of it on Flickr.
• Scroll down to see what other bloggers are up to and link to your own finishes.
• Please include the February button in your blog post. Copy the code in the text box below and paste it somewhere in the post you link for this month's finishes. The button is a link to this specific post, so that other bloggers can find their way over and link up too. If you'd like a button for your sidebar, the code is at the bottom of this post.
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://emsewandsew.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-stitch-in-time-february-finishes.html" target="_blank" title="February Finishes"><img alt="February Finishes" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR8k2r3PTttq_2o_gKNK-IjAXJMKibwjlk7AVQUG0vlwTXKhEvpk2cx-QHl1X7OWMparAELc9K6m1yFpWgOhvmpCZEC6dy5UG57d_6uDRkdi3-IUUKn1APRmrF00NuCWg2bPy4ppwIoWb/s165/02%2520February.jpg" /></a> </div>
• Each time you link up a finished project, you're entered to win the February giveaway, two adorable mini patterns by Camille Roskelley from Thimble Blossoms, Puddle Jumping and Swoon.

• Thank you to The Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring our giveaway!


The Fine Print {which might be boring but you really should read}:
• Your project must be completed during the month you are linking to.
• Projects must include stitching of some sort. For example: appliqué, crochet, cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting, practical sewing {garment construction, bags, curtains, etc.}, quilting.
• Projects must be completely finished. As in done, finito, nothing more to add, ready to use/display/give away.
• You can pick something new to do, but projects do not have to be started during the month. If you pick up a UFO, Ph.D, WIP and finish it during the month, it counts.
• Finishes must be completed during this month, but you have until 5:00 pm MST on the 1^st of the next month to link your post.
• Post about your finish and then link your specific post {instructions here} above. Links to your blog and not the individual post about your finished project will be deleted.
• Have more than one finish this month? Great! Post about each finish individually and then link the specific posts up separately. Each finish, and therefore each link you add, counts as one entry for this month's giveaway.
• If you've already posted about a finish for this month, there's no need to do a separate post. Just add the button to that post and link up.
• Please copy and paste the code below to include this month's button somewhere in the post {not your sidebar} you link up for this month.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://emsewandsew.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-stitch-in-time-february-finishes.html" target="_blank" title="February Finishes"><img alt="February Finishes" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR8k2r3PTttq_2o_gKNK-IjAXJMKibwjlk7AVQUG0vlwTXKhEvpk2cx-QHl1X7OWMparAELc9K6m1yFpWgOhvmpCZEC6dy5UG57d_6uDRkdi3-IUUKn1APRmrF00NuCWg2bPy4ppwIoWb/s165/02%2520February.jpg" /></a></div>

• Don't have a blog? You can link from your flickr account. Just post a picture, include a little note about your finish and a link back here {code included below} in the description. Then join the linky party.

<a href="http://emsewandsew.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-stitch-in-time-february-finishes.html" target="_blank" title="February Finishes">A Stitch In Time: February Finishes</a>

• Want a button for your sidebar? Copy and paste the code below into an HTML gadget for your sidebar. This button is a link to the main A Stitch In Time Linky Party page, which always has the current month's finishes and links to all previous linky parties.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://emsewandsew.blogspot.com/p/a-stitch-in-time.html" target="_blank" title="A Stitch In Time Linky Party"><img alt="A Stitch In Time Linky Party" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZPuRS75OByqbpvvTh7tzjwrJa71J3Q2YlKJxg2WTUB1esPZ99CR9QjXCislmjFsx_Ej0Oa6oxFNG4KqfrWr2IBhOCcnkzH7xWfYcRkTYl3nCfNklmBBSK6_0Eq8oBNkrdxyKq4Cttbdq/s165-no/A+Stitch+in+Time+Sidebar.JPG" /></a></div>

• Make sure to visit a few of the other links and leave them some love {ie, a comment}. A good rule of thumb is to visit two links for every one you include.
• Winner of the sponsored giveaway will be drawn randomly from among the links and announced by 8:00 pm MST by the 5^th of the following month.
• Kindly consider changing your comment settings to the pop-up window option for faster and easier commenting for visitors to your blog. Instructions can be found here.

We're Not In Disney Anymore Day 7: Keep Calm and Carry-On

No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse. –Jeffrey R. Holland, The Tongue of Angels, April 2007

Friday, January 24, 2014
Destination: Home, Take Two
Weather Forecast: We don't care about the weather. Just get us home.

4:39 am, EST [2:39 am, MST]: The airline just called. Our flight has been bumped from 8:35 am to 10:00 am. I suppose they thought it would make me less grumpy if they called at 4:29 am to warn me, rather than letting me find out when I got to the airport at 6:30 am. I'm really not sure which would have made me less grumpy.
7:00 am, EST [5:00 am, MST]: Alarm. Too. Grumpy. To. Be. Awake.
7:35 am, EST [5:35 am, MST]: We're catching a shuttle to the airport. I'm still grumpy.
7:55 am, EST [5:55 am, MST]: We just checked in for our flight home. Again.
8:08 am, EST [6:08 am, MST]: We're all over the map for breakfast this morning. Grasshopper is very fond of the Egg McMuffin with hash browns and orange Juice. Mr. Bug just wants juice and LadyBug wants doughnuts. I want something without dairy, so I'm getting Panda Express — String Bean Chicken and Chow Mein.
8:26 am, EST [6:26 am, MST]: People with food in their stomachs are much more pleasant.
9:03 am, EST [7:03 am, MST]: We made it through the TSA Security Check again, and hopefully for the last time for a good long while. Boarding starts at 9:30. I'm so glad to be heading home.
9:22 am, EST [7:22 am, MST]: Wait. What's this? The flight has been bumped back to noon. All of my toiletries are in my checked bag, which is who knows where, and I'm wearing the same clothes and undies as yesterday. But at least I still have my carry-on, which has a few small items that will keep me entertained.
9:47 am, EST [7:47 am, MST]: . . . waiting . . .
10:33 am, EST [8:33 am, MST]: . . . still waiting . . .
11:00 am, EST [9:00 am, MST]: The airline employee just announced that we are probably going to depart at noon and they will make further announcements. We surmised as much from the display board.
11:16 am, EST [9:16 am, MST]: . . . and more waiting . . .
11:50 am, EST [9:50 am, MST]: The airline employee just announced that maintenance has asked for a few more minutes and to please be patient while they finish up. I'm beginning to wonder if this is the same plane as last night.
12:09 pm, EST [10:09 am, MST]: The airline employee announced that they are doing a taxi test and if everything is OK, we can begin boarding. Now it is hurry-up-and-wait.
Disembodied Voice on the overhead speaker: The local time is 12:30 pm. I don't think that is helping.
12:39 pm, EST [10:39 am, MST]: LadyBug and I have decided to get something to eat from Burger King. Mr. Bug and Grasshopper declined, but they'll be sorry when we get back with our food.
12:52 pm, EST [10:52 am, MST]: I was right. Grasshopper wants pizza. I told Mr. Bug that they probably have plenty of time to go get something.
1:17 pm, EST [11:17 am, MST]: I was right again. We've all eaten, thrown out our trash, been to the restroom, washed our hands, checked to make sure we had our luggage and finally they are starting to board.
1:31 pm, EST [11:31 pm, MST]: We are on board, ready for take-off. We hope. Apparently, a light was out on the dash and legally the plane couldn't take off without it. It was a tricky thing to fix — the light that is; there's absolutely nothing wrong with the plane — but it's all good and we're on our way.
3:58 pm, CST [2:58 pm, MST]: Touch-down in Dallas Ft/Worth; we were re-routed slightly mid-flight. That, combined with the huge delay in leaving, caused us to miss our rescheduled, rescheduled, rescheduled connecting flight. It left 30 minutes ago. Once again, I'm a little annoyed.
4:04 pm, CST [3:04 pm, MST]: We're waiting to get up to the gate — there is a fire truck with flashing lights parked where we need to park. How many things can go wrong in one 24-hour period?
4:23 pm, CST [3:23 pm, MST]: They found us a new gate. As we came out, we asked the airline employee at the podium for help in changing our connecting flight. She told us we'd have to go two gates down for that because they needed to start boarding the next flight. I have a lot of not very nice things to say about that.
4:33 pm, CST [3:33 pm, MST]: We found our way two gates down. Our next flight is at 6:40 pm. Yeeehaw. More waiting. I can't wait!
4:34 pm, CST [4:34 pm, MST]: Mr. Bug just told me he must be at his limit for all of this because he nearly bit the head off the woman who declined to help us. That is saying a lot. Mr. Bug is probably the most patient person I know. I'm amused with the prospect and frankly, would have liked to see that.
5:33 pm, CST [4:33 pm, MST]: I've pretty much had it for the day too. I managed to get another food voucher from the less than sympathetic and completely unhelpful airline employees. We're waiting for our order now.
6:13 pm, CST [5:13 pm, MST]: We are now boarding. We're all crossing our fingers for no more mechanical malfunctions today.
8:00 pm, MST Touchdown in good old Salt Lake City. Let there be no further difficulty in finding our checked bag and let us get home quickly.
8:36 pm, MST Bag acquired, shuttle to parking boarded. Let's not jinx this, but we might make it home before 10:00 pm.
10:27 pm, MST We made it with nothing eventful to report. I'll be so glad to sleep in my own bed tonight. I just opened the suitcase and something exploded in one of the toiletry bags. From the smell of it, I'd say conditioner. I'm not even going to think about it until tomorrow. I've had enough adventures for one day.

Walt Disney World Day 6: So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye

There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story. –Frank Herbert

Thursday, January 23, 2014
Destination: A Quick Trip To Epcot and Then Home
Weather Forecast: High of 61˚

11:15 am, EST [9:15 am, MST]: This morning was another slow start. We're all really tired. I'm not sure how many miles we've walked, but there was a lot of walking. It would have been fun to bring a pedometer. I'll have to remember that for next time. Anyway, it was a slow start and then a mad dash from about 10:15 on to get everything packed and ready for check out.
11:31 am, EST [9:31 am, MST]: We've dropped our checked bag off with the Magical Express luggage service, which will take it to the airport for us. And we're leaving our carry-on luggage with their bag storage facility. They'll hold on to them until it is time to leave for the airport.
11:40 am, EST [9:40 am, MST]: We're catching a shuttle to Epcot to spend a few more hours there. We already did pretty much everything there, except for Soarin', which we don't really have time for today. Simulator rides make me queasy anyway, even with Dramamine {Sidebar: I've always gotten a little motion sick riding in cars but over the last few years, things that did not used to bother me kind of do now}.

12:14 pm, EST [10:14 am, MST]: Lunch today is at Les Chefs de France. Charlotte, at the hostess stand, is from France. Now that I look at the name tags and catch bits of conversations, nearly everyone who works here is from France. Our garçon charmant {charming waiter}, Teo, is from Montpellier, in the South of France. I happen to know where in France Montpellier is located because Mr. Bug served an LDS Mission in the South of France and one of the cities he lived in was Montpellier. I had planned on asking Mr. Bug if he was going to say anything to the waiter after he'd gone to get drinks, but he beat me to the punch and told Teo, in French, that he lived in Montpellier. They had a small conversation, which I got the gist of and then Teo turned to me and asked if I also spoke French. I told him I did not, but spoke Portuguese. To be honest, I was very nervous to eat in a fancy French restaurant because I've heard that the French . . . don't like Americans too much. But everyone has been given their best Disney spit and polish and what Disney does best is hospitality. This is my specially prepared dairy-free dessert. Is it not gorgeous? It tastes as good as it looks.

1:40 pm, EST [11:20 am, MST]: We had to do the requisite milling about. It was our last chance. And bathroom breaks, of course. We also made a last-minute Disney Trading Pin purchase for LadyBug. She had to have a few Stitch pins.

2:16 pm, EST [12:16 pm, MST]: We're right on schedule in catching a shuttle back to the hotel.
2:28 pm, EST [12:28 pm, MST]: We have just enough time to get our bags from the storage area and get to the motor coach that will take us back to the airport.
2:40 pm, EST [12:40 pm, MST]: We're on our way to the airport. We'll have to stop and pick up passengers at the Riverside resort as well and then it is about 30 minutes to the airport.
3:42 pm, EST [1:42 pm, MST]: We made it to the Orlando International airport. Our flight doesn't leave for two hours. Maybe do can do some milling about.
4:34 pm, EST [2:42 pm, MST]: After a peek in at the Universal Studios gift shop {where I met a young boy, maybe 12 years old, who was from Brasil. I was looking at the wands from Harry Potter and he started telling me about which ones he had. I recognized his accent and told him that I speak Portuguese. We had a little conversation and then we were both on our way} and a bit more milling about, we are at our gate. By the way, the TSA Security Check gets two thumbs down from me. I'm SO glad that's the last time I have to do that for a while.
5:45 pm, EST [3:45 pm, MST]: Our plane should be departing right now but there are lots of people around the podium still and they haven't even called to start boarding. I guess they are trying to fit standby passengers from the last flight onto this one. They've also announced that they will do a complimentary bag check for anyone who wants to send their carry-on along to their final destination. I really think we should check a couple of bags, but Mr. Bug and the Not-So-Little Bugs are against it.
6:06 pm, EST [4:06 pm, MST]: Our flight is finally boarding but we had so much fun that we've decided to stay. We're getting jobs at Disney and we're going to live here. Only kidding. Sort of. We're in our seats anyway.
6:17 pm, EST [4:17 pm, MST]: This is a newer plane with view screens that lower from the overhead compartments. They are having technical difficulties with the FAA Safety video. They are scrambling to find the right props and script so they can show us how to fasten our seat belts, where the exits are and how to use the air bags should there be a sudden drop in cabin pressure the old-fashioned way. It is kind of funny.
6:20 pm, EST [4:20 pm, MST]: Actually, we might be staying after all. The captain just announced that there are some technical difficulties with the yaw dampener. We're taxiing back to the gate so maintenance can have a look. The captain asked everyone to just sit tight for a few minutes.
6:34 pm, EST [4:34 pm, MST]: We're back at the gate and maintenance is looking into the problem. I'm getting kind of anxious because I don't know how long we have in Dallas before we have to catch our connecting flight.
6:42 pm, EST [4:42 pm, MST]: The aircraft is officially out of service. The captain insists that the flight would be terribly uncomfortable for everyone without a yaw dampener. The replacement plane will be leaving at 9:00 pm.
7:17 pm, EST [5:17 pm, MST]: The agent I talked to on the phone said the next flight was actually at 10:40 pm, so we got our flight changed. We're staying one more night in Orlando. We'll be leaving at 8:35 tomorrow morning and arriving in Salt Lake at 1:40 pm.
7:53 pm, EST [5:53 pm, MST]: I got vouchers for meals and a hotel tonight squared away with the airline. I'm really kind of bummed. We could have spent a whole other day at Disney.
8:24 pm, EST [6:46 pm, MST]: We're sitting down to dinner at the Macaroni Grill, compliments {mostly} of the airline.
9:13 pm, EST [7:13 pm, MST]: Now we're trying to find transportation to the hotel. I heard a rumor about a shuttle somewhere. The only thing I can see is the Disney Magical Express area. Maybe I'll just go and ask over there. We're not staying with them anymore, but I'm sure they would be nice enough to help.
10:03 pm, EST [8:03 pm, MST]: Sure enough. The greeter at the Disney Magical Express knew exactly what to do and was very nice about it. We got to the hotel, but one thing is for sure: we're not in Disney anymore. On the plus side, the toilet paper isn't tissue paper thin {I don't think I mentioned this before. The toilet paper is the only thing that isn't hospitable about Disney. Oh, and the toilets flush at full hurricane force.}. On the minus side there are two double beds. On the plus side, they're not hard as bricks.
10:19 pm, EST [8:19 pm, MST]: It's going to be an early morning tomorrow. Lights out.

Walt Disney World Day 5: Magic Our Way

Disney Fun Fact: Disneyland in California would fit inside the parking lot at The Magic Kingdom in Florida.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Destination: The Magic Kingdom
Weather Forecast: High of 57˚

7:30 am, EST [5:30 am, MST]: I thought I'd try setting my alarm for 7:30 again, but yep. It's too early today, too.
9:00 am, EST [7:00 am, MST]: Ok, ok. I'm up.
10:59 am, EST [8:59 am, MST]: We're out the door. Finally. What did we spend all morning doing?
11:03 am, EST [9:03 am, MST]: I'm making a quick stop at the gift shop to get some locking pin backs. I'm wearing my lanyard of Disney Trading Pins and I don't want any of them to fall off. I'm hoping to find a pin trading station today. I've seen several of them, but didn't have my pins with me.
11:10 am, EST [9:10 am, MST]: Oops. I forgot the Dramamine. We're already at the shuttle stop, but I don't dare go without. Hopefully I can make it to the room and back before our shuttle comes.
11:19 am, EST [9:19 am, MST]: I made it back, and the shuttle didn't come while I was gone. That's good.
11:35 am, EST [9:35 am, MST]: And . . . we're still waiting.
11:55 am, EST [9:55 am, MST]: We finally made it to the Magic Kingdom. From the Disney app, our plans for the day:

12:16 pm, EST [10:16 am, MST]: We've completed the requisite milling about, restroom stops and map consultation. We've boarded the Disney Railroad and will be departing from the Main Street Station momentarily.
12:23 pm, EST [10:23 am, MST]: We disembarked at the Adventureland Station, wandered over to Tomorrowland, found snacks, milled about some more and used the restroom. We're off to a smashing start.
12:51 pm, EST [10:51 am, MST]: The standby line for Space Mountain is only 20 minutes. That's Grasshopper's favorite and LadyBug likes it pretty well too, so we're going for it. Wait times are short today.
1:47 pm, EST [11:57 am, MST]: The wait times are increasing; it is handy to have the app. At the moment, we're using our FastPass for Big Thunder Mountain and are glad we don't have to wait in line for 45 minutes.
2:18 pm, EST [12:18 pm, MST]: It's time for a late lunch. Up first, pizza for Grasshopper and LadyBug.
2:42 pm, EST [12:42 pm, MST]: And now tuna salad sandwiches for Mr. Bug and me. {We had to go to two different places to get what everyone was after.}
3:05 pm, EST [1:05 pm, MST]: We made it to our Haunted Mansion FastPass by the skin of our teeth. I love the hitchhiking ghosts {who have learned a few new tricks since I was last here}. They are totally fun. ♫♪ Grim, grinning ghosts come out to socialize. ♪♫
3:42 pm, EST [1:43 pm, MST]: We're boarding the Jungle Cruise via the FastPass line. And the jokes are just as cheesy as I remember. Although there is something quite . . . endearing . . . about a plump, grey-haired, grandmotherly-type woman with deadpan delivery who is outfitted in jungle gear and driving a boat.
4:02 pm, EST [2:02 pm, MST]: We're doing a little exploring at the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. And some of our party may or may not be a little grumpy. I think we've hit a mid-afternoon slump.

4:16 pm, EST [2:16 pm, MST] Time for a rest stop/bathroom break/consultation of the map. Today, it's a little bit cool. We didn't rent a locker because we've kept our coats on all day. As the temperatures go down, so does the crowd and correspondingly, the wait times.
7:08 pm, EST [5:08 pm, MST]: We hit our stride took full advantage of the short wait times. We've rode Pirates of the Caribbean, after which we headed on over to Tomorrowland and did Stitch's Great Escape, the People Mover, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and the Tomorrowland Speedway. Then we cut back across to Fantasyland and rode It's A Small World. The wait for it has been pretty non-existent all day, but every time I suggested it, the Not-So-Little Bugs soundly dismissed it. In the end, I prevailed and although the wait time was listed at 5 minutes, we really didn't wait at all. I didn't find anyone to trade pins with today, though. We're at the shuttle stop now, waiting for a bus to take us to the Port Orleans - Riverside resort {which is just North of where we are staying}, where we have reservations at Boatwright's Dining Hall for dinner.
8:07 pm, EST [6:07 pm, MST]: It was a really long wait for a shuttle, but we made it to the restaurant only a few minutes late for our reservation. LadyBug is pretty much done for the day. She's put her head on the table and I'm fairly certain that she's asleep.
9:43 pm, EST [7:43 pm, MST]: Dinner was delicious. I had Voodoo Chicken; cajun blackened with peach marmalade on top with a side of rice and collard greens. I even ate the collard greens. They weren't too bad. LadyBug woke up to eat and she and the boys had New York Strip Sirloins which, I hear, were delicious as well. We took the Water Taxi back to our resort {Port Orleans- French Quarter} and LadyBug and Mr. Bug headed to our room. Grasshopper and I are now taking a very cold trip farther down river to Downtown Disney because Grasshoppper has his heart set on taking home another set of LEGOs. It is so hard to resist an entire store of LEGOs.
10:35 pm, EST [8:35 pm, MST]: LEGOS successfully procured. Grasshopper found a smokin' deal on the sale shelf. 50% off. Now that's what I'm talking about. We're on the boat now and when we get back to the hotel, I'm headed straight for a nice, long, hot shower.
10:56 pm, EST [8:56 pm, MST]: It's time to call it a night. Our trip is over tomorrow and we'll be heading home. I'm a little bit sad to be leaving so soon. It went by too quickly.