Last finish for 2009

I imagine this is my last finish for the year, it is 'His Heart Belongs to Me' by Carriage House Samplings. (Ballymena is my DH's hometown in Northern Ireland).



I'm off to the movies tonight to see New Moon. My DH suggested we go. He tells me he quite enjoyed Twilight (cue surprised look). From memory he was surfing the net at the time I was watching it, and isn't it really for teenage girls (or your inner teenage girl)??? Still, I won't let on. lol

Hope you're all still enjoying the holidays!

It's a mystery no more!

Hooray, I finally finished my Long Dog Mystery Sampler. It was nearly three years in the making!! I started on 20 January 2007, and finished it nearing midnight on 27 December 2009. Spurred on in determination by cheeky comments from my DH about when it might eventually get finished!



I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Ours started off a little differently than other years with a trip to Te Papa to see the 'A Day in Pompeii' exhibition. I highly recommend it if you live locally (or are visiting Wellington between now and April). We mostly had the exhibition to ourselves (which was the plan by going on Christmas Day), so it was great to look around at our leisure.

Then it was lunch and dinner at my sister's house. Phoebe got lots of lovely pressies and stayed up late (she obviously didn't want to miss the party!). Here's my favourite photo from Christmas Day of Phoebe getting a Christmas kiss from Grandma(my Mum).



Ronnie is back to work tomorrow for a couple of days before New Year, but I don't go back until next Tuesday. I plan on doing some more stitching, hitting the gym, watching some movies and packing some more boxes in preparation for the house move on the 15th.

Hope you are all enjoying the holidays!

Merry Christmas

I thought I would do another post before Christmas, so I can wish all my friends and readers a very Merry Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

I have been busy stitching. I have finished Just Nan's Christmas Wishes. I'm going to make this into a small cushion for next Christmas.



I have also been busy getting a WIP closer to being finished. Not long to go for my Long Dog Mystery Sampler. I know it would not be to everybody's taste, but I love all the colours in it. I started it on 20 January 2007, and it WILL be finished by 20 January 2010. It will, it will... lol





I forgot to share some nice mail I have received in recent weeks. I won the marking pins on MaryKathryn's Facebook page, and the threads are a gift from Judy. Thank you so much ladies!



It is already Christmas Eve here. My DH shut up shop yesterday, so today we took a long drive to Cape Palliser. It is one of our favourite destinations. The views are pretty...



... and the wildlife is cute and laid-back!



More photos in my Flickr album for anyone who is interested.

I will finish up this post with a picture of my niece, who is having her first Christmas tomorrow :-) She'll be in bed by the time we have the main event, but we're going to see her earlier in the day. I can't wait!



Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

Little while, no blog...

Paula left a comment noting that I'd been rather quiet lately. Hmmm, it has been over a month since I posted to my blog so it is about time I did an update :-)

The only stitching finish I have to report is Just Nan's Blitzen Glistens, which I made into an ornament for my niece Phoebe's first Christmas. I chickened out of doing a beaded edging, but found a little hanger in my stash for it.



I thought I would share this Christmas card from my sister too (using Phoebe's photo). I thought it was very cute, and a neat idea.



In other news I joined the gym (and am really enjoying it) and we are no longer searching for a section to build on, because we found a house we love and are moving in on 15 January. We managed to sell our house within 4 days of it being on the market, and it was all tied up within 8 days. I think it was just meant to be!

That's all for now, off to find something to stitch on!

Back from Fiji

We had a wonderful time on our short break to Fiji. We didn't do a great deal, we just tried to relax as much as possible.

We did however go on a jungle cruise, a champagne sunset cruise on a 35ft catamaran, sea kayaking, paddle boating, a shopping trip into Nadi, lots of walking along the beach and around the resort, watching the evening entertainment and we had a trip to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant (beautiful).

Ronnie (my DH) has had his own business for two years, and in that time he has been reluctant to take a day off, let alone go on holiday. However, much to my wandering feet's pleasure he is already talking about future travel. I think Fiji has reignited his wandering feet too! Thank you Fiji!!



And what better way to end a holiday? I came home and there was some new stash waiting for me!! (I know, I know... I am supposed to be destashing!)



Happy stitching!

I am being a good girl...

Instead of a new start, I decided to dip into the UFO/WIP pile and have made some small progress on the Long Dog mystery sampler which I started in 2007.



There really aren't too many bands to go, so I'm hoping it will encourage me to just get on with finishing it!

My DH and I are currently looking for a section to build a house on, so I have been destashing and thinking about getting old projects finished up. When we moved house in March, there were many, many boxes labelled 'craft room'. I'd like to decrease that considerably for when we do find that elusive section!

Have a great week!

Progress halted

A big thank you to Gayle for coming to the rescue with my thread request. Progress has come to a halt now as I'm all out of thread.

If anyone else has this chart in their stash waiting to be stitched, I think it well underestimates the amount of thread needed. It was supposed to take 12 yards on 32 count, but I have already been through 20 yards. Make sure you have plenty of extra thread before you start, especially if your thread is not easy to lay your hands on.



Happy stitching!

Does anyone have...

...leftovers/half/a whole skein of Antique Red Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe thread they would like to swap for some threads/charts?

My niece is SIX months old today. Where did that time go? She also went for her first swimming lesson...



I am not sure that the novelty of posting cute photos of her will ever wear off, so readers and friends... you may have to bear with me :-)

Although I will have some travel photos to share soon. DH and I are off to Fiji in a few weeks. I can't wait to get away from all this wet and windy October weather.

Happy stitching!

New stash to counteract the destashing

I am doing a lot of destashing at the moment, but I couldn't resist Hootzi Humbug by Just Nan. I have long admired Just Nan's pretty pins... and I can say I am definitely not disappointed with my first!



There is not really a lot of progress on Live Simply, so I'll save the update photo for when there is something more substantial to show.

Thanks for those who shared their opinions on my last post about the OOP chart, they were much appreciated.

I see I have some new followers and commenters, I hope to pay a return visit to you all soon.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Opinions please

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What do you think is a fair price to pay for an out of print limited edition cross stitch chart?

What someone originally paid for it? Double? More? Put it on Ebay/Trade Me and let the buyers determine the price?


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So this is not a completely boring, photo-less, stitching-less post I've added another photo of Phoebe for baby photo lovers. Definitely my favourite photo I have taken of her so far.



I am distracted from my stitching at the moment (due to good things), but hope to get back into the swing of stitchy things soon!

Although I am having a little lull AND a serious destash at the moment, I did order something today - how cute is Hootzi Humbug from Just Nan?. I figured that even I, the non-finishy stitcher, could probably make a humbug. Hope I'm not wrong... 'cos I signed up for next year's four releases as well!