What I Did on My Summer Vacation-



From the song "Plastic Sun" by Sonic Youth. Flight attendant on my way to Phoenix said it was hysterical. This was my first time using varigated floss and I did the 2 lines of the border separately to try to maximize the color differences and make it look more like water.

Also, I picked up a few cross stitch books which have given me even more things to work on. And went to a cross stitch store which was insane. So much fabric to choose from, I was completely overwhelmed but still managed to pick a few things out. Needless to say I'm going to be busy working on lots of new things.

Side note: Hello to anyone visiting from mrxstitch.com! Poke around and feel free to contact me (ponyinarope [at] gmail [dot] com) if you have any questions. I'm happy to share.

Things I was reminded of on vacation:

• How abundant sweet tea is in Texas.
• How much better the grocery stores are in Texas.
• Southern California needs some damn used bookstores.
  
• I am awful at taking pictures. Got a brand new camera and how many pictures do I take? 9, and that's including multiples of a couple things. I didn't even take pictures of things I intended to take pictures of. I should give it up.
• Vacation is good for inspiration. I've got a number of ideas for new stitcheries and some xmas stuff as well.
• I need to reorganize my desk. What reminded me of this, I don't know.
• Packing lightly is the way to go.

Joined Twitter (@ponyinarope). Added Twitter updates to the sidebar.

Updated the Archives page that was somehow neglected.

Also tweaked the About page.

July's albums (another short list):

• Nikka Costa- can'tneverdidnothin'
• Emm Gryner- PVT
• Emm Gryner- Songs of Love and Death
• Jimmy Chamberlain Complex- Life Begins Again
• Kings of Leon- Aha Shake Heartbreak
• The National- Alligator
  
• New Pornographers- Twin Cinema
  
• QOTSA- Lullabies to Paralyze
• Spoon- Gimme Fiction
  
• David Usher- If God Had Curves
• John Vanderslice- Pixel Revolt

Now that I've crossed into the second half of the decade, it's time to say goodbye to the albums that were sacrificed to the Smoke Monster.

• Black Keys- The Big Come Up
• Coldplay- Parachutes
• Nelly Furtado- Woah Nelly!
• Good Life- Novena on a Nocturn
• David Gray- White Ladder
• Emm Gryner- Dead Relatives
• Interpol- Antics
• Long Winters- When I Pretend to Fall
• Muse- Origin of Symmetry
• Muse- Absolution
• Nada Surf- Let Go
• The National- The National
• New Pornographers- Electric Version
  
• Orbit- xlr8r
• Roland Orzabal- Tomcats Screaming Outside
• Placebo- Black Market Music
• Remy Zero- The Golden Hum
• Bic Runga- Beautiful Collision
• Silver Scooter- The Blue Law
• Sunset Valley- Icepond
• Travis- The Man Who
• David Usher- Morning Orbit
  
• John Vanderslice- Mass Suicide Occult Figurines
• John Vanderslice- Life and Death of an American Fourtracker
• John Vanderslice- Cellar Door

This is not to say these albums are bad (although a few are borderline), but to create a top 50 list, some things have gotta go.