Christmas & New Year catch-up!

Well Christmas and the New Year holidays are now over and how glad am I as our festive season was awful. My DH became very ill on Christmas Eve and by late evening on Christmas Day my son Craig and myself both joined him. All three of us had the flu and spent the next ten days in bed. Apart from us all still having an annoying chesty cough we are thankfully getting better.
The week leading up to Christmas little Leon had some fun doing these crafts. He got so excited decorating the Gingerbread people. He was in floods of tears as the icing on them wouldn;t dry quick enough so he could eat one.

This is our table all set for Christmas dinner and the centre-piece our Christmas cake which is a very rich fruit cake that my Mum makes each year and my DH decorates.

On a quick visit to the local Supermarket I couldn;t resist purchasing Chilly to add to my every growing Snowman collection.

A very close friend always includes a Snowman for my collection in her gift each year but oh my I was just gobsmacked when I opened my parcels this year. Aren;t they all just darling.....

I also got treated to all these wonderful stitchy bits and pieces from Santa (Mrs Claus actually chose them all herself though..lol) As regular readers of my blog know I don;t quilt but I couldn;t resist this book for some inspiration to finish off my stitchy pieces. There are some beautiful projects in it.

I have been doing some stitching the past few days but I can;t show as it;s a Birthday gift for someone who reads my blog. Once I can find the threads in my stash this is going to be my first SAL piece for 2011. My stitching Sis Elaine and I have decided that our SAL won;t consist of us doing the same chart but a SAL where we encourge each other to work and finish our project. Our charts that we choose will be ones that we have had in our stash that for years , you know the ones that you always says you will get around to stitching one day. Well here goes my first piece is I will Always Be a Wildflower by SamSarah designs. I am also hoping to do some other stitching in between so will only post my progress at the end of each month on this one.

Once again I am playing catch up with blogging, emails etc. Looking forward to seeing what you have all been up too the past few weeks. Be back soon. Hugs!

Gifts/Friends/Christmas

Well a few days to go before the man in the red suit arrives and I just can;t find any time to sit down and stitch. I still have a few gifts to wrap and I need to start planning and buying the last bits and pieces for Christmas dinner. I always find Christmas day so hectic. We get up early open our gifts, grab some breakfast then visit my brother and his family and then its off too my Mum and Dads. More coffee, tea and gift exchanging then it;s back home to start preparing dinner. We sit down to dinner early afternoon, stuff ourselves silly, have a little rest and then there is a mountain of clearing up to do. Next we spend a few hours playing family games, more tea, coffee and snacks and you are just ready to sit down and relax and then you realise it;s bedtime. The day has come and gone in a flash. I much prefer Boxing Day as it is a totally chill out day. No one ever visits so we spend the day in our pyjamas watching tv, playing games, listening to music, stitching, reading , just whatever we enjoy. Not much cooking either as we have always found in years past that so much is eaten on Christmas day , you don;t really want lots of food the next day so we always just have a buffet. Roll on Sunday..lol.

I always get the most enjoyment from pieces that I stitch and give-away for exchanges, gifts, etc but while in my finishing mode recently I decided to keep these two for myself to hang in my home this year. Dear Santa I stitched many, many years ago but never got round to doing anything with it and the buttons have also been in my stash for a while and I had no idea how I would ever use them. Isn;t it cute..lol. Snow is a Shepherds bush piece that I stitched right at the beginning of the year. When I came across this fabric in my stash I just knew it would make a great pillow. Who would have believed that as I get near to the end of the year I would actually be happy with some of my finishes..lol.

There has been so many delays in the mail with the snow this December that I didn;t expect any of the gifts I sent out to arrive. Suprisingly this week a few have got through. A little scissor gift, chocolate santas and a stitched pillow for Michelle (http://stitchcraftplace.blogspot.com/) and a JOY ornament, candy cane chart and chocolate scottish snowman for Siobhan (http://bluehenhollow.blogspot.com/). Two sweet ladies that I am blessed to call my friend.

After a long day shopping in Glasgow yesterday I got a lovely suprise when I arrived home and found my exchange box from Cath. Once again she has spoiled me too pieces. Look at all these gorgeous gifts. Oh no I;ve just realised that I haven;t included my beautiful snowman that Cath sent. As I hung it up in my living-room right away I forgot to include it in the photos.

I will just treasure that beaded scissor keeper. This is only the second one I have owned. My friend Elaine sent me one a few years ago but last year it broke and I really miss it. Cath just puts so much thought into these exchanges, she knows what a sheep and snowman nut I am. I just couldn;t stop laughing at Shaun the Sheep, the kids want to steal it but they;ve been told hands off and what about my Stitch pal monkey, isn't it adorable and he is purple!! I have an area in my hall-way where I sit my stitching box and baskets so my darling little stitchy pal will sit there. The Oh Joy stitched ornament is one that I had on my list to stitch myself. I love the thread Cath has used to stitch it and she has even finished the back with some tartan fabric. It;s now hanging on my tree. Thank you so much for everything Cath.

I;ve been so spoiled this week as I also received this lovely card and pin cushion kit from Michelle. I had recently been admiring these pincushions on line and was wishing that I had one. Thank you so much Michelle. I can;t wait to try it.


Another wonderful surprise that arrived in my mail this week was these gorgeous goodies from Staci. I have oohed and aahhed all year at all the beautiful creations she makes and I am so touched to receive these gifts. The heart is so pretty and is now hanging on my tree. Thank you so much Staci you are a dear friend.

As this will be my last post before Christmas I hope the Christmas season fills your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter. Merry Christmas Everyone. Love & Hugs!

Snowmen Alert!

This post is for all you Snowmen lovers out there. I just know I can;t be the only one with this little addiction. These are some of my favourites from my collection. I only get to bring them out at Christmas as I don;t have the room to display them all year round. I started collecting them ten years ago , some I have bought myself , others were gifts from friends and family. I;m still on the look-out for this years addition. Enjoy!

On the stitching front I have been up to my eyes in glue and invisible thread since mid November. I;ve lost count of the amount of finishes I;ve attempted to do. Some I;m happy with some I;m not but I do need the practice and I am feeling a little more confident now about trying to do some more. Hopefully in the next few days I will get the chance to pick up my needle again and see if I can remember how to stitch. I need to get my December SAL chart done and I;m determined to stitch at least one Ornie from this years Just Cross-stitch Ornie mag.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Hugs.