Here comes the summer sun...

It is a glorious summer-like day here today. OH and I were up early, so decided to head out to one of our favourite beaches.

It is one of our favourites because it is wild and rugged. The wind is usually blowing so hard the sand whips around your bare legs, your hair gets in a tangle and you can see some huge waves crash onto the beach. There's only usually a handful of people about too, so we always feel like we have it ourselves.

Plus, on a good day you can see the South Island. As can be seen in the first photo, today was a very good day - we were able to see the Kaikoura mountain range (which is in the South Island) in all it's snow capped glory.



And where else, other than in New Zealand, do sheep graze on the beach?? LOL



Sorry for the delayed drawing of the Kiwi bookmark. But the winner is....KathyA. If you could please email me your address Kathy (I only have your Arizona address), then I will get it in the post to you soon.


I can't show you my latest stitching finish yet (it's for the Prairie Schooler exchange on HOE), but I can show you my QFRR restitch. I started it last night. I'm using one of the lovely threads Kendra sent me for my birthday.



We bought two leather recliners for our lounge the other week - it makes stitching so much more comfortable! I can't tuck my Ginghers into my slippers when I'm stitching anymore, because my feet are too far away. LOL.

Have a great week!

A Kiwi bookmark kit to giveaway

My sister bought me this bookmark kit for one of my "round-robiny things". LOL.

I assume she meant for me to gift it to someone. So if you are interested, leave a comment and if there is more than one person interested I'll randomly pick a name. Don't be shy, I'll post it anywhere in the world.

A little finish

Here's Von's Neighbourhood RR.



I think you'll all agree it is one very pretty neighbourhood!

A little quiet lately...

There's been all sorts of things going on, but not a lot of stitching.

I don't like to do a post without photos, so here are two charts I have on the way from 123stitch (dispatched the day after ordering so they'll be here soon, speedy!).

I saw that Lisa is working on Ezmerelda's House by Brightneedle, and it reminded me of how much I like this design.



I've also liked 'His Heart Belongs to Me' by Carriage House Samplings since I first saw it. It reminds me of a lovely Yorkshire miner I used to go out with when I lived in England. I'll probably change York to Ballymena though, for my OH. lol.



In other news...

OH and I had a long weekend away in Taranaki. Here's OH part way up Mt Taranaki - it was bitterly cold and snowing (it was great!).



I'm going to be an Aunty for the very first time. Now I have three nephews, one niece and a step-niece (is there such a thing?) and they are all fantastic young people, but this one is going to be a proper blood relative. Yay! (If you know me and you are reading this, I won't disclose which sister is expecting because I probably shouldn't be mentioning it yet. lol)

On a sadder note, just before writing this post I was shedding a few tears reading tributes to my work friend's father (who I also knew) who died this week. I was already feeling bad because I sent flowers then found out the family requested people not to send flowers, and when I checked to see if they were delivered they were - at 7.30 this morning. That's early, especially at such a terrible time. I am sure they will be well received, but talk about feeling like an annoyance.

On to happier things... Spring is here. I've seen blossoms, daffodils, magnolias, lambs (my sister has one at the moment!) and it's light when I go to work now. Yay!

And Tiggy is getting a friend. We've made her outdoor house a lot more waterproof and comfy (I reckon we've spent close to NZ$1,000 on her house - strewth, a bunny boutique!), the weather is improving and she needs something to put a hop in her step. The hard part might be choosing her a suitable friend from Animal Rescue though. Perhaps I'll just have to go with whose been there longest.

Oh well, back to the RR I'm working on - nearly there, which is just as well as the deadline is 1 September.

Have a great weekend!

Strawberry House

Once again, excellent service from Amy at Down Sunshine Lane. I responded to Cheryl's 1 August request for someone to stitch on her LHN Heartfelt Friends RR, ordered the chart and threads a day or two later and it arrived on Monday. Talk about super fast!!



I haven't any stitching photos to share. I've been working on my Long Dog Mystery Sampler while watching the Olympics - of course the only mystery left is when I might finish it!

I'd be interested to know what other stitchers do when you start a sampler in one year and finish in another? I can't decide whether I should unpick 2007 and change it to 2008, or leave as is. I asked OH, but his cheeky reply was "You should put 2009 on it"!!! LOL

Here's a couple of blogs that have caught my eye recently, so thought I'd share the links.

Lisa
Piko

Hope you're having a great week!

Another little finish

I was determined to get Wendy's Quaker Friendship RR finished up last night. And I did... around midnight.



It will be on it's way to Donna soon.

Next up I'll be working on the Hello Neighbour RR, as there is a 1 September deadline and I've not even chosen a design yet! Off to do that now...

Thank you

For all your sympathetic and supportive comments about the missing RRs. It's the disregard for everyone that bothers me most. I did get the hump for a bit, but I then reminded myself that 99.9% of stitchers are wonderful! Thanks also to Carol, who is also trying to help get the missing RRs back on course.

Speaking of the lovely Carol she received this little Quaker pincushion I made for her, for her birthday. Carol does so much for the stitching community that I wanted to make a little token of my appreciation. I'm glad she likes it.

It's stitched on Apple Blossom Lugana from CountryStitch with Crescent Colours 'Wavy Navy'. I really like how it turned out.





Judy asked about when we are likely to see the first signs of Spring in New Zealand. Funny she should ask, I just spotted some trees in blossom a few days ago. Yippee! Soon it will be time to get out in the garden and give it a good post-winter clean up, and plant up my pots (which all look very sad at the moment).

Yay, we've reached mid-week... it's downhill to the weekend. Yippee!

MISSING

Missing
Originally uploaded by rosie_kiwi

Three people's RRs from the Quaker Friendship RR.

Others from the Hello Neighbour RR.

So much for friends and neighbours....

Thanks to Edgar and Vonna for all they are doing to contact those stitchers who have gone awol.

Fair & Square Celebrate Summer Round for Clare

Clare has received her Summer squares from me, so I can now share a photo. I stitched Flowers by Heart in Hand, and sent a chart off Clare's wishlist.



Good spotting KarenV, the squares Clare stitched for me were a Brightneedle design. :-)

We could do with some Summer weather. New Zealand has been battered by two storms in the last few days. There have been a number of deaths attributed to the weather and widespread damage. I hope all my Kiwi blogging friends are safe and well (and dry!).

An award

Thanks Erica for the Kreativ Blogger award. :-) I'm sorry I can't nominate just five, I love and am inspired by all the blogs I read.



I really had to scratch around for something else to share in this post. I had a week off work last week, and the only thing I managed to accomplish on the stitching front was making another little pincushion out of my pretty squares from Clare.



Have a great week everyone.