Stitching HD at last :)

I have not been stitching or blogging much lately :) lots of reasons but this is not a post for moaning. I am hoping to be back to normal (if that's possible) soon.

I have finally finished Chris' RR - I have needed the whole six weeks and it's not really a big design. I did the strawberry bowl, the french knots were worrying but I think they look ok :) This RR has just one more place to visit so next posting allour Robin's come home - Dusty, Chris, Lynn, Jaclyn and Tina are you as excited as me??

We're off to the caravan today for 9 days, just me, DH and Ruby until Sunday when DD and her BF join us until Friday. We then have another weekend just us before coming home next Sunday. I'm looking forward to some relaxing time and a chance to catch up on many many things.

Because I have not been stitching I am so far behind with the stitching for the church Christmas tree. I have decided to change Symmetry as I will not get enoughstitched now in time. The new name is 'The Cross Stitch Tree' and I am going to stitch crosses :) It's a very simple chart and I am going to use up lots of my tiny scraps of material, canvas, floss and wool so there will be a variety of sizes.

If you would like to stitch a cross here's the chart (you can edge and back it anyway you like).

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Thanks in advances to those who I know will be sending crosses - if you need to contact me my email is aimetu.clare@hotmail.com

and finally - does anyone fancy joining in a non-stitchy exchange? I thought this would be fun, no stitching panics and enable new online shops :)

Sign up by posting on this thread and by emailing me the following details. I will need:

your blog address

your full name

your postal address

your contact phone number

You will need to go online to ANY stitchy shop and buy £5 worth of goodies for your partner and have the parcel sent straight to them.

All goodies must be ordered by 25th August so that all goodies are received by 1st September

Sign up closes 9am Monday 9th August - all details will be sent that day by 6pm.

I think that's all from me - hopefully I will be back to blogging after my hols AND I'll have some stitchy news :) take care everyone and have fun x x

The Black Dress ...

...was perfect :)

I had a brilliant timeat the school prom - it was such a good atmosphere,a great feeling of togetherness.

The black dress was perfect - and I now know where I'm heading next ;)

This was me and Michael before I went out hee hee

 No stitching news but it's school hols soon so maybe then :)

Slimming World - on the move again

I'm feeling quite rough at the moment with a summer cold. I came home early yesterday and have decided to stay off today. Hopefully I can rest on the sofa with my stitching :)

I just wanted to blog my SLimming World success - it's taken me 18moths but I have lost 31lb (2 stone 3 pounds). I am so pleased and after a few months of staying at the same weight I am finally loosing again.

It's our school prom next Friday and I have a black dress that I am hoping to wear so if I lose a couple of pounds this week it will be prefect :) positive thoughts :)

This is fat me at bowling Xmas 2009

and this is skinny me on the beach in Wales June 2010

So hopefully the next photo will be me in that black dress next Friday :)

Another month on :)

I'm so slow at the moment in lots of things lol. Lots has been happening - too much to blog in detail so here it is in pictures.

Philippa was nominated for a sport award at her schools equivalent to 'Sport's Personality of the Year' - we had to go posh :)

Then it was her prom night and she looked fabulous :)

Then we had a weekend in France and bought just  few bottles of wine for our wine rack.

And this weekend we've had a new BBQ and made twists for pudding :)

No stitching this month but I am working on my RR.

I hope to be blogging much more soon as we break up for summer in just three weeks :)

Long time no see

I haven't blogged for a while - no real reason, time seems to be running away with me just lately. Anyway here's a quick update of what's been happening.

We took DS and DD tothe caravan over the half term. They took their girl/boy friends and Ruby came too lol. It was a car full but thankfully with having three bedrooms the caravan was big enough. DD's boyfriend did have to block the way to the lounge at night so he could sleep on the sofa without Ruby dive bombing him in the night hee hee. Here's a few photos:

Me and Ruby, Michael & Amii, Kieran and Philly

Philly and Kieran on the Estuary Walk

Amii and Michael at Aberwstwyth Castle

Ruby having a dig

Me and Nick having a go at Just Dance on the Wii - it was so funny.

Well that's about it - I have no more news apart from I have finished my part of Jaclyn's Round Robin - the next posting is Saturday so I'll soon have another piece to work on.

I have set myself a rotation as I don't seem to be doing much (not just stitching). Hopefully this will help:

Monday - Symmetry stitching (ornaments for my tree at church)

Tuesday - Slimming World and reading the latest book I have on the go

Wednesday - Little House Needleworks (I'm still on the Pears lol)

Thursday - Bible Study

Friday - Round Robin and blog update

Saturday - Round Robin

Sunday - whatever I fancy (and yes I know St George isn't on here but he may be the occassional Sunday)

So that's all from me for now, thanks for popping by.

London and Mardi Gras

What a fabulous day we had yesterday in London! Philippa was dancing at the Royal Albert Hall in Mardi Gras. It was a long day - here's what we got up to :)

4.30 alarm :( up and ready - Philly had a whole days worth packed lunch with just a few treats. The coaches picked us up from Nuneaton Dancecentre with all the girls (and one lad) one one coach and the parents on the second. It was an early start and we did have a breakfast stop but we arrived at the Royal Albert Hall at 9am.

The dance team were spending the whole day there, rehearsing their routines, getting used to the larger stage (it was huge compared to their dance school floor - and round not square) and learning the two finale songs and dances. There were 24 dance schools taking part with most being at least 40 strong - you can image the noise and atmosphere in there all day :)

Nick and I went off round London. We walked through Hyde Park and were lucky enough to pass the Knightsbridge Barracks where the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) are based, and they were just leaving to parade to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard. The horses were stunning, jet black and so well groomed they shone.

We walked to Hyde Park Corner and over to The Dorchester hotel - it always looks stunning and at the moment has yellow and white window canopies which were matched to yellow and white flowers in the garden - stunning. To add to the sight were two elephants - in fact we saw lots of these around London. They are for sale by auction in aid of the Elephant Charity, so clever and such a great fundraising idea.

Nick and I carried on to the British Museum where we spent a few hours looking at the finds such as Sutton Hoo.We then walked on to Holbrn and had a lovely lunch at Cafe Rouge - I had a huge bowl of mussels, so yummy. They were very good, the food arrived at just the right moment so we had a leisurely lunch, not rushed but not left waiting. To be honest I could have sat there all day :)

More walking - this time to Doggetts Coat and Badge, our favourite pub right on the Thames next to Blackfriars Bridge. We spent a nice hour or so enjoying a bottleof wine - good job too as it was pouring down outside lol.We took the Tube back to the Albert Hall - good job as we'd walked over 5 miles already, and just as we got off the Tube my left ankle went. It's a bit painful but not too bad.

After a wonderful day things could nto get better BUT they did - we had bought tickets in the circle which is the fourth floor up. When we gave the tickets to the theatre man he asked if we were just two, and when I said yes he said would we likeot be upgraded to better seats and gae us tickets for the stalls. We went downstairs not sure what was happening,only to find ourselves right by the dance floor in Row 7. I have no idea why we got the tickets but they were perfect.

The inside was huge but the centre area was smaller than we'dimagined. It is certainly a feat when they do the Remembrance Night there. Anyway the show was the perfect endto a perfect day.Nick Greenshields was the compare and he wasso kind to all the youngsters, telling them his background and being really encouraging. He is even going to try to get a grant sorted for an 18 year old who sang for her dance group - she has a place at a top London college but has no grant so cannot go, he promised to try to find some help for her.

There were 24 danceschools - 12 in each half. Philippa's team danced 10th. There were 1700 dancers altogether and they were all on stage at theh end of Act One and again Act Two. Here are the photos:

We should have been right at the top of this picture, above the lights - yes really that high - and look where we were.

The spotlight fell just on Philippa :) but allthe team were fantastic.

And her teams' finish ....... she finished right in front of us - what a night (God moves in mysterious ways), I love this photo, she is looking straight at us with a huge smile :)

Nuneaton Dancecentre Team - aren't they fabulous :)

This is the Finale - they all danced together, all 1700 of them.

We all had a fabulous day - and arrived home about 1am. We've all had today off which I think was a good idea as Philippa has her exams soon. To everyone who was involved yesterday, the Dance School, the coach company, everyone in London, all the dancers who performed and especially to Philippa "Thank You" I had an amazing time.

Over one in Wales :)

We have been to our caravan for the Bank Holiday weekend. It was surprisingly quiet, not many people around at all. The weather was good but such a cold wind. We have a long horse lead which we use to take Ruby on the beach for a run, you can see how much she enjoys it (sorry about my fashion sense lol)

On Friday I did the MS Society Cake Bake at school for the staff as it was our teacher training day. All last week I baked a few cakes each night. They looked great all laid out but they didn't last long.

Thanks to my brilliant colleagues I raised £80 - thanks everyone it was a fab day :)

Over the weekend I have done some stitching. I have taken part in the GOS Challenge #6. I did not have a varigated red thread so used a dinky dyes pink. I stitched it over one and made a scissor fob. I did not have any stuffing at the caravan so used a bit of rice lol. (sorry Blogger has turned my photo again - one day I'll work out why - I've tried everything both on the camera and the pc lol)

I don't think I've anymore news although I do have the feeling there is something I forgot.... oh yes just another photo of Ruby enjoying the garden sun - well a bone actually.

Thanks for sharing my news - happy blogging and stitching x x