Feeling the Love

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post.  It means a lot to me to have your support. Still no news on going back to work.  The union and the government have been negotiating all weekend but nothing has been reported yet.  So I continue to keep busy and am trying to be positive.  I finally put some trim on the last pillow I sewed up when I thought to myself, wow, I take a long time to finish my stitches.  I should get more into the habit of finishing my projects right away instead of taking a long time to get them done! 

I hand sewing the cording to the pillow since I wouldn't have the first clue how to sew it with the machine.  I like how I finished a February stitch in September...lol! Yes, I do take my time! 

Now I really need to work on my Christmas gifts instead of starting new projects, but hey, that's what stitching ADHD is all about.  I decided to join Sarah and Lija in a Sheep Virtues SAL.  Sunday is the post date but Mondays should be fine as well.  The girls have all the charts, but I just have Love! So I began that on the weekend and managed to work on the border. The goal is to put in about 100 stitches in which I think I surpassed. I'm stitching it on 40 ct. Natural linen with DMC threads.

Made some more progress on Bitter Flower Sampler although somewhere along the way, the count is off on the top alphabet but I can't seem to find where I messed up.  It doesn't make that big of a difference so I'm not worrying about it.  

Sarah Chapple's house is nearly completed.  I have a bit more filling in to do then I'll be finishing the birds on the left tree and working more on the border. 

I was thinking back to when I last posted about my granny stripe blanket, and I think it was in May or June.  Well, summer feels like it is still here, hot yet cool in the evenings.  So I have been working away again on the stripes.  I've also crocheted a little gift for my mom-in-law but I think she looks at my blog, so I can't post anything yet until she receives the package.  Anywho, here's Granny!

Those bright colours are going to be perfect to work with when the rain comes.  Nothing like a bit of cheer inside when it's miserable outside!

The other day we went down by the river and decided to try to fly our kites.  With a lot of fiddling with string and sticks, we managed to get one of our kites up.  You know the best kites are the dollar stores ones.  The kites we've bought from shops tend to not fly very well and often break.  Best to spend a dollar and not worry about loosing or breaking the kite.  

It looks so pretty against the azure sky.

Speaking of blue, here's a winky photo of Titus blue eyes.

Really not much else to report other than I am crossing my fingers and toes for a work resolution soon.  Please pray for that!

Hugs

Anne

March Surprises Me

Bonjour mes amies!!

It's been too long since I've posted but I know everyone understands that I've been busy.  Reports are finished! YAHOOOOO!! I still need to add a few things here and there but they are finito. Huge waves of relief washed over me when I completed the last kid's report.  I had quite the past couple of weeks.  This reporting season was especially difficult for me for some reason.  Other teachers felt the same.  One gave me some good advice about saving my first, second and third term comments so I can use them for next year which will save me a lot of time and agony.  I'll take that advice! I also suffered a cold/lost my voice last week.  The kids said I sounded like Yoda and laughed at me. It was pretty funny to hear me, although my hubby told me to stop talking since he couldn't stand hearing it anymore!

Like Yoda I sound. Yes Hmmmm

I have a lot to share with you today so be prepared! There wasn't a whole lot of stitching done until this weekend so I only have two small things to share.  My Friday night SAL with Maggee has been going well.  I'm nearly finished Magic Garden! I can hardly wait! 

Although it's now March, I managed to finish LHN's February last night.  I think I've said this before but I need to plan my stitching a bit better! I'm always late with monthly themes...stitching them after the fact! I think I'll make this into a pillow since that's the easiest finish for me. 

It was stitched on 28 ct. Lambswool using CC threads that dear Cindy provided in the kit.  I by accident stitched the roof white but I like it! We had a lot of snow in February so it's a good reminder of the snow we've had!

After leaving the peacock for awhile, I picked him up again Sunday night and tackled him.  No frog came visiting me that night! Yay! 

Now for the best part of the post....all the wonderful packages that have been sent to me.  

I did a biscornu exchange with Sarah, from Sarah in Stitches and our theme was Spring. She sent mine a bit early because she has other exchanges to stitch and send out.  Hopefully mine will get to her in two weeks. Anyways, she sent me the most beautifully stitched biscornu and pretty monogrammed pillow, plus some mint tea from UAE, fabric and two VMS charts. I am a lucky gal! Thank you so much Sarah for such a wonderful package!Your biscornu is so sweet and finished beautifully. It made me very happy especially after the harrowing report card experience!! Hugs to you my dear!

Setting up for a photo and look who pops in and flops all over it?!

The pretty two-toned biscornu.

Front

Back

Hanging out with new biscornu friends

Tea, chart and fabric from UAE...the tea is amazing!

Sarah is such a sweet heart and I remember seeing her blog over a year ago and was one of her first few followers.  It's so nice to "meet" kindred spirits from around the world!!

The next surprise was from dearest Carol, Stitching Dreams.  She has told me she was going to lend me a chart I'd admired on her blog, but didn't tell me she was going to send something extra!! Boy was I surprised! She made me a beautiful pillow personlized to me! She stitched a little cat in the corner and made it look like Titus. We have become quite close friends over the years and I treasure her friendship.  Thank you my dear Carol! Your finishing skills are so admirable and very creative.

The sweet pillow and chart

Such a pretty design and I love the added button detail

Love those little spools of thread!

Little Titus!

I feel so spoiled by Sarah and Carol.  They have truly made my week, month! I mailed out a few packages last week and hope that my recipients receive them soon.  This Spring Break, which I'm itching for desperately, I hope to stitch a few more RAK's and do another mail art exchange with Meari.  So looking forward to catching up with everyone too.  I've been very remiss with blog commenting and posting.  But that's how life is and I now you all understand.  

Almost forgot to show my fabric and thread toss for Sarah Chapple.  I ordered it way back in January and it finally arrived. The R &R Rook 36 ct. linen is quite dark but I like it.  Hubby says he wants me to keep it since it's very army like and manly.  I had to laugh since the sampler is anything but manly!!  I'm going to start her properly during Spring Break.  

Beautiful silks and fabric

I'll finish with a few photos of our late spring.  We had some snow at the end of February which set back the flowers from blooming.  Now I'm starting to see some sprouting around.  Can't wait for more to come!

Snow berries

Some pretty pink flower bush on the river

Finally I spy a crocus!

The last of the snowdrops

That's all for now.  Titus and I are going to lie down in a sun beam and relax.

Hugs

Anne

PS Lent started and I have 5 more weeks to go without dairy and meat...sigh...

IHSW

Hello again!

It was a great weekend for stitching, visiting and snow of course.  I just hope the snow doesn't stay for too long.  The poor crocuses that were coming out are now frostbitten and don't look very happy in the snow.  

I have a busy few weeks ahead of me and am looking forward to Spring Break.  I also hope we have better weather for Spring Break because my husband wants to go camping!! Crossing everything that it doesn't rain!!

I stitched a bit on 3 WIP's.  Magic Garden is getting lots of love. I took a photo on Saturday morning with a Stellar Jay feather I found on the street.  I love Stellar Jays although they are very noisy and love to squawk right by our window!!

Friday night results

Sunday night stitching

Stellar Jay up north...my photo

not my photo

Such pretty little birds aren't they?!

Knotgarden received a bit of love last night.  

LHN's February is nearly complete.  Funny how February is nearly over.  I need to plan a wee bit better for those monthly designs.  

I filled in the heart with red.  It isn't supposed to be stitched but it looked odd without the red heart!

Until later, take care everyone and have a wonderful week!!

Anne

Snow in February

Big, fluffy white flakes are swirling down from the sky.  Not a usual occurrence for the Lower Mainland at this time of year. Perfect for snuggling in a blanket, watching Downton and stitching....except for the fact that I should be starting my report cards!! There's always next weekend to do them.

I had the desire to do a few posts this week however I have been busy with work and helping my little brother who is here for six weeks doing a plumbing apprenticeship.  The math they have him do is crazy hard! Thankfully, the school provided a tutor for free and he is less panicked! Me too since I was about to try to learn crazy plumbing math in a day!

I wish I could show some of the stitching finishes I have done but I have to wait until the recipients receive them first.  I'm made some progress on all my projects.  Oh, and I received my yarn order from Loveknitting!!  The service was so fast! I got it within 2 weeks of ordering.  Lately I've been having a hard time with some of the cross stitching companies.  I've placed orders back in January and have yet to hear back from 1 and the other finally sent a chart.  Loveknitting is in Great Britain so how it can get here faster than the States, I have no idea! 

Wonderful, cheery colours that I can't hardly wait to start working with.  I need to get some counters for the first chain but Caitlin suggested I could use paper clips, which is an awesome idea.  Thanks Caitlin for the tip!! She's been making beautiful progress on her granny stripe blanket. 

Stitching updates.  I've actually made a lot of progress during IHSW but I'll show the progress tomorrow.  

Knotgarden: filled in green.

LHN's February: stitched hearts.

 
JCS: added more beige to the peacock.  He is frustrating me to no end.  I have to keep frogging his silly body over and over.  I think it's the chart.  The symbol is a tiny dot and even though I scanned it, reprinted it and have been shading in what I've stitched, I seem to be having problems with seeing the dots!! I haven't been wanting to work on it lately.  I may skip the peacock and start another motif.

Magic Garden Friday night SAL with Maggee:  stitched the bug, and started the glove. I so enjoy stitching this design.  Each little motif, creature is a pleasure to stitch!! I don't want it to end!!

Okay, fast blogging now.  I need to get ready for our blini breakfast after church.  Lent is starting in two weeks so we always have blini before Cheesefare week.  

Someone asked me for a photo of the pretty wagon cart I use for my monthly display.  Sorry I can't remember who! I have a terrible memory!

Beautiful wagon wheel cart

March display

Random photos:

Beautiful linens I bought from 123stitch from dear Mouse.  Thank you so much Mouse!! I will be using them for all sorts of projects!

Snowdrops:

Hubby being funny:

 He's feeling better.  The inflammation is going done! WHOOOOOHOOOO!!! But predinsone is crazy.  Let's just leave it at that!

Titus on my granny blanket:

 A murder of crows:

And I'm done!!
 
Thank you all for your lovely comments! I finally responded to all of them and visited some blogs.   I'll be back tomorrow with IHSW progress pics!!

Hugs 

Anne

Gardens, Colours and More Licking

Hello my lovelies!!

It's a gorgeous day out today and I'm looking forward to a nice walk with the hubby to see if we can spy signs of spring, although it's very cold out and there's talk of snow!

My February display

Out with January, in with February.  I pulled out my pitiful collection of Valentine smalls and displayed them on our drink cart.  I should take a photo of the cart since it's darling and was given to me by my dearest Auntie.

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last few posts.  I think I've caught up with my emails. I visited blogs on Saturday night and still have many more to go through.  As usual, I have been inspired and influenced by many of the posts around blogland and have even purchased some things! Uh OH!! One blog, a crochet blog, has been captivating my interest lately.  Lucy from Attic24 has a delightful blog full of colour and inspiring photos that is a joy to visit.  Spying her colour selection for a cheery granny stripe blanket, I put in an order for 17 yummy colours of yarn!! I can't wait to start this blanket! I'm a sucker for colour ever since I was a little girl.  I remember yearning for the 64 Prismacolour pencil colour set, very expensive back then, and received it from my loving grandparents as a gift.  I was overjoyed and treasured that pencil set for so many years.  I actually used to play with the colours as people...ssshhh!! So I suppose my love for colours hasn't changed much since I was 6! 

Onto stitchy news...this weekend has been somewhat successful, minus all the frogging I had to do on Knotgarden AND JCS 1707.  Two teeny mistakes I had to fix; fixed them, then released I made the same mistake!! UGH.  Once was enough but TWICE?!

I turned the peacock upside down for the photo. 

My Friday night SAL with Maggee was successful.  I stitched for a few hours and am really enjoying this design!

That little mushroom is so cute! My hubby asked what that purple thing is in the bottom right corner and I have to say, I don't really know! It's a tulip like flower but it's in a purple box? Strange but sweet.

I also started LHN's February design, gifted by Cindy.  I figured January can wait for another year!

Thoughts of finishing...I need to get a move on that front.  I looked through my drawers and found a few small WIP's, and about 5-6 smalls needing to be finished.  I can't seem to get into finishing mode at all.  I'm always amazed at those who stitch something, then finish right away.  Very smart I say! Hopefully next weekend I can get my behind in gear and do some finishing. As for Love Birds, I went and bought a frame for it but the frame won't allow for anything thicker than a picture to be put in.  How disappointing :(  I'll have to search yet again for a nice frame for the sweet Love Birds.

Samplers.  I love them.  Can't seem to get enough of them so I bought yet another sampler! I know I don't have time for them but I will be retired at one point so why not stock up for then?!  I just fell in love with this Red Deer sampler and had to get it.  I think it'll look fabulous next to Hannah's Leopard...which still needs to be framed..oi vai! I think I'm attracted to bright reds in samplers with animal and flower motifs...just sayin'!

Just a few days ago, I was an honorary recipient of Mouse's birthday generosity!! She sent me a gift card to 123stitch so I had fun shopping today for some lovely fabrics! Thank you dear!! I feel truly spoilt :D

Onto licking news, while I was taking photos of my WIP's, guess who comes and plops down behind me and starts licking loudly?

TITUS!! That's who!!

Yup, get that fur cleaned Titus and then puke it up!!

Need to groom my soft head

Aaah stretch out that back after a good cleaning

Sigh...loud cat licking can be annoying, especially when it goes on for what it seems an age.

Sign off time...here are a few photos for you to enjoy!!

Anne.........