Those promised pictures ...

only a couple of days late!

Tall Oaks Sampler - Prairie Schooler

Finished 28 June 2006

Rose Sampler - Little House Needleworks

Finished June 2006

Funny - I thought I had more than that! ... but they will do :)

Thanks for looking!

Saturday Morning ... at home ...

Yep - for the second weekend running, no soccer. The grounds are terrible, we have had WAY more rain than usual for this time of year, so once again soccer is cancelled for the day. Which, really, isn't such a bad thing ... my day was going to go like this -

8.30am pick up onions
8.45am pick up sausages etc
9.00am set up BBQ at the Warehouse for Ski-camp fundraising.
9.30am take Rhiannon to 10.00am soccer game.
11.00am watch Cameron's soccer game.
1.30pm to gym to french braid Level 1 girls hair (none of those mothers know how).
2.00pm score for Level 1 Girls Competition.
5.00pm get home.

Meanwhile DH would have taken Josh to Levin for his 10.0am game, then Charlotte to her 2.00pm soccer, then 3.00pm to BBQ to clean up.

Sooooo the soccer parts were taken out - giving me a couple of hours at home this morning, time to update my blog ... and, most of exciting of all, catch up on laundry (oh yay! LOL).

... and in other family news ...

We bought a new car! ... a little Granny car ;) ... it is a little Toyota Raum, 1500cc, perfect for economic fuel assumption for DH driving the long haul to and from work, perfect for a second car for soccer etc mornings, and most of all? perfect for Mr almost old enough to drive (about 6 weeks until he is able to sit his written/learners and can start *gulp*), but not cool enough for him to want to drive his friends around ;)

... and Josh has decided to become a vegetarian. Thing is, with Josh, this won't be a flash in the pan thing, I really think he WILL become a vegetarian. This is the same boy who hasn't touched McDonalds for about six months since seeing Supersize Me (they showed them it at school). Soooo I have to be inventive to make sure he is getting all the nutrients he needs - he is also our palest child, so he really needs to pick up the iron from somewhere else.

DH is still working, still looking for another job - so we're in a kind of neutral holding place right now. Fingers crossed, positive thoughts, prayers, whatever works ... that he gets an interview for one that sounds promising next week - the agency like him, he's just waiting to hear whether he definitely will be interviewed - it sounds promising, hopefully, hopefully ...

I have been stitching, but might save those update pictures until tomorrow ... the washing machine just beeped that it's finished - I need to go hang it all outside (the washing, not the machine!).

Have a good weekend everyone :D

Thank you Jo!

I received my Friendship Exchange from Jo (Kiwijo) yesterday ... and I LOVE it - Jo has the most beautiful stitching and finishing :)

She included a few goodies as well - I love everything, there is nothing like receiving a bit of cheer in the mailbox.

Lots of photos!

Sorry anybody with dial-up!

Saturday morning here - most soccer has been cancelled, I've never known a year where the grounds have been closed so many times, I think it is a good indication of how wintery we have already been this year - those poor people down in the South Island stuck in snow, with no power! We have had it easy here compared with them.

The good thing is - Rhiannon has a gym competition in Palmerston North today and it was going to be a rush to go from soccer then there. Now we can go a bit earlier, do a bit of girlie shopping, have lunch and then go. It's going to be a late, tiring competition - they don't start until 3.45pm (all going well - because they're last, if the other levels are late, we'll be even later) - and there are a LOT of competitors at this one, so they won't finish until 7-8pm I'm picking. (wonder if I'll see Katrina shopping? LOL).

Anyway - on to the pictures! Stitching first -

Finished English Garden Pocket -






















Be True (by Shepherds Bush) -













and for something different - I went to a beginners card making class on Wednesday night - lots of fun, and lots of ideas (and lots of money I could spend! LOL). Here are the three cards I made there -





and lastly, not my creativity this time, but the oldest son's! This is his Meatball and Spagetti Panini, this was his practice one, he did the real thing in their "invent a burger competition" at school yesterday - and he won!

Hmmmm for some reason, the picture won't load - might try again later, I need to get moving into the shower and get going!

Have a good weekend everyone :)

English Garden Pocket

Wow! Look at this ... two posts in two days!

I've got to say a BIG thank you to Kath, Katrina and Pat for a lovely afternoon yesterday - they are great friends, who put up with my woes and tears. I think stitching with friends is the best medicine for your soul :)

Here is English Garden Pocket all stitched - just need to put it together, I've also realised I need to add something to the initial space BEFORE I put it together, I was going to think about it and do it afterwards, but that would be a bit hard once it's all sewn up, duh! I think I'll look in one of my numerous DT charts and add a little garden row from another chart.

Anyway - here it is :)

Whole thing -

Closer up of the back -

Closer up of the front -

I've said it before, and I just have to say it again - I LOVE Drawn Thread charts, and love all their little delicate speciality stitches!

I'm still here!

Gosh - a whole week has gone by, again!

Just wanted to do a quick post to say that I'm alive, still stitching ...

I finished my friendship exchange piece and LOVE it - I'd be tempted to keep it for myself, but it has a "J" stitched on it! LOL ... I'll be collecting a few things up to go in the parcel and sending it off next week :)

Since I've finished that I've been stitching Drawn Thread's English Garden Pocket - hopefully I'll finish the cross-stitching on it today - and maybe (just maybe!) have time to put it together tomorrow. Not sure what I'll stitch after that - I'm sure I'll find something though.

No pictures - can't be bothered running to get it. It's nearly time to get ready to leave for soccer (and it's only 8.00am *yawn*) ... Josh at 9.00 in Waikanae, then fly back to Paraparaumu for Cameron and Rhiannon's 11.00 games.

BUT ... after that ... I'm off to Kath's for lunch and the afternoon to stitch with her, Pat and Katrina! I can't wait ... boy oh boy ... do I need an afternoon off with friends today :)

... in other news - I'm ready to send my DH packing - he's made a job decision I'm really unhappy with, and actually, the more I think about it, the more HURT I am with it. But that's a whole other moan and I'm working hard at holding back tears pretty permanently anyway, so I'm not going to go into it right now.

Have a great weekend everyone :)

June already? - May Round-Up, June Goals

May Round-Up
I did okay this month ... went slightly off the planned rotation (hey, what's new! LOL) ... but it was a pretty good month, stitching wise.

1. Finish tea-cup RR - send off - Yes!
2. Finish Mirabilia RR - send off - Yes (but will be sending off on Tuesday)
3. Two ebay pieces - no
4. Finish Celtic Summer - Yes!
5. Stitch on HAED QS Summer Fairy - Yes!
6. NZ Ornament SAL - Yes!
7. 1 other ornament - no

Also -
Stitched and finished a Britty Kitty for my Mum (which she loved :)).
Nearly finished my Friendship Exchange piece.
Started and got through about half of Woodland Cottage.

June Goals/(Ideas ;))

I'm not sure I want to make goals this month, I'm kinda in a stitch whatever I feel like mood - there are a couple of things to list though (just so I feel good come beginning of July!).
1. Finish Friendship Exchange and send off.
2. NZ SAL Ornament
3. One other ornament
4. Finish Woodland Cottage

I'm hoping to stitch some things for ebay this month ... but I'm also just going to go with the flow :)

... and just because I can't show my stitching right now ... here is Charlotte at soccer today -

In action!



















Talking to her friend (yes! my shy Charlotte is actually making (and seeming to enjoy) friends now!)















In action again
















and when it all gets a bit boring? Why not do a few cartwheels instead! LOL