Autumn Exchange gifts

The main thing since my last blog is Philly has moved to University - she now lives in Pontypridd in south Wales and is having a wonderful time. The four of us went out for a meal at TGI Fridays the night before she left and Nick and I stayed at a lovely Best Western Hotel the weekend we took her - it made it a good weekend for everyone.

Me and Philly

Philly,Michael & Nick

'Moving In' cake for Philly's Uni

This is the view from her room - she's very lucky as many of the other rooms look onto other flats or a wood. It is very steep - she is on the first floor but is above the flat block in the photo.

Philly's View

This weekend was Needlecraft Haven's Autumn Exchange opening day and I received a beautiful project folder from Mary - it's a french design too which is just perfect. I am using it already :)

My project folder from Mary

The inside

and this is the biscornu I stitched for Barb, I was really pleased with how it stitched up and finished.

Autumn Biscornu

We've just had a weekend at the caravan but it was very windy this morning - quite nice to come home to the calmer weather. Next weekend Nick and are going to see the Hairy Bikers Live - I'm really looking forward to it, and we are going to Cafe Rouge before for dinner, my favourite restaurant.

Finally I have stitched the ornaments for the church tree this Christmas - my tree is called Family Tree and here's my ornaments so far.

 

 

Thank you for sharing in my latest news - hopefully next time the ornaments will be finished.

Birthday and Olympics

All I can say is 'phew' what a weekend.

Friday hubby and I travelled with our friends to Manchester for the weekend. We stayed at The Ramada Hotel in Salford Quays - they upgraded us to the seventh floor thanks to Twitter and being my birthday weekend :0 The hotel rooms and breakfast were really good. Friday night we went to our favourite restaurant Cafe Rouge - the waiter was really nice and the food was superb as always.


Saturday morning we went into Manchester on the tram and our friends showed us around as he used to live there. We also went to the Science and Industry Museum which was brilliant and brought back memories of a school visit when I was younger.

Saturday afternoon we went to the Tesco Wine Fair which was the main reason for us going away. It's a great afternoon of wine tasting - with notebook to add comments. Our friend and I even did a bit of tv work, being filmed promoting a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from Malborough New Zealand LOL

It was a lovely weekend - and Monday was even better. it was my birthday and we went to London to meet Philippa at the end of her 11 days as a Games Maker at the Paralympics in the Aquatic Centre. She had an amazing time with the team from North Warwickshire School Sports Partnership.

We went into Central London with them to watch the Victory parade. We stood by St Paul's but the team were lucky to have been chosen to be in The Mall with 7000 other Games Makers. Here are a few photos from her time at the Paralympics.

The Team at the Aquatic Centre



Making friends :)

Working time

On tv leading out the swimmers

Brownlee Brothers

Chris Hoy

Tom Daley

With the Paralympic Torch

Last photo - in The Mall for the Parade

Best times - she was 'living the dream'

I had some lovey gifts for my birthday - a lovely necklace and earring set from my hubby, my favourite wine from Michael, a Cath Kidston ipad case from Philippa, Cath Kidston scissors from Mum, a stitched oven mitt from Julie, a Les Miserables canvas picture from Adele, threads from Needlecraft Haven Birthday Thread Exchange, and so many other fabulous gifts. Thank you all so much, here's some photos:

All my pressies

Les Miserables canvas

Beautiful gift from Julie

I have had a lovely time but it was all tinged with sadness as I miss Dad terribly. It is easier but being my birthday made it much worse. he would have loved to have seen Philippa on tv and all her photos, but I guess there is always something you miss whenever time happens. I do miss him so very much.

Thanks for ready my news, thank you to all my friends for the wonderful cards and gifts - have a great autumn and happy stitching..

Thank you Dusty

Just before we went away Dusty sent me a surprise parcel just full of things for the stitch club at school. So much fabric and lot of mini ornament kits which the students will love doing - thank you  so much Dusty, you are so kind.

Gifts from Dusty

Dusty also included a gorgeous notebook for me along with some lovely charts - I felt very spoilt.

My gifts from Dusty

Here's my orts jar from August - it's fuller this year than ever which is a lovely feeling. Without the jar of orts I don't think I'd realise just how much I've done.

31st August orts

We are very proud today as Philippa starts her 10 days as a Games Maker volunteer at the Paralympics - she was very excited when they left yesterday. we're glued to the tv to see if we spot her. She did text to say she is looking after the swimmers accreditation whilst they are in the pool - top job :)

Thanks for visiting on this first day of September - wishing you a fab month - it is a good one ;)

Stitching News

It's only been two days but I'm blogging again :) I blame the horrid wet rainy day we have today.

I have been stitching, I just don't seem to have time to blog it. Before we went to France (pictures in Monday's blog) I stitched Dusty's RR. Her theme was Christmas ornaments and we all stitched a square which Dusty is making up now the Robin is home. I was the last to stitch on this and there were two squares left so I stitched them both.

We are so pleased for Philippa - she worked very hard on her A levels and had some brilliant results.She is off to Glamorgan University soon (after her 9 days at the Paralympics). I have a book that I stick recipes in from magazines in or I write down recipes passed on. I have made Philippa  recipe book for Uni - the first entry is basic cupcake mixture hee hee. She is a very good cook and was delighted with her new book.

 

Thanks for popping by (again) :)

Photos galore

We are back from our second holiday to France - I've definitely been spoilt this year.We decided to go to the Champagne region but stayed in travel hotels as we planned to spend most of the time out and about.

Instead of the Eurotunnel we took the ferry and what a sail.The weather was beautiful and we sat on deck the whole way, watching the white cliffs disappear and Calais beach arrive.

Calais beach as we arrived on the ferry

We love staying overnight in the B&B Hotel Cocquelles and having a Flunch meal in Auchan - so we did ! I had paella and you could have as much as you wanted, lovely :)

Sunday we had a 250 mile drive to Epernay in the Champagne region, we did stop on the way for a coffee at Laon but didn't stay out the car for long as the temperature was 38.5C so hot.

View from Laon Notre Dame across
the land we'd just travelled

We travelled a way further and stopped for a picnic at the roads side - we used to smile at 'old folk' doing that, now we do it LOL

Picnic in the vines

Epernay was shrouded in a heat haze but it was lovely to arrive and find our travel hotel Premiere Classe.

Epernay

We had a lovely 4 nights/days - we visited three champagne houses, ate at some wonderful restaurants, travelled through some beautiful countryside, learnt a lot about champagne and grape vines, saw a windmill, went up a lighthouse and rode on a petit train.

The highlight for me was visiting our favourite champagne house Nicolas Feuillatte. We were the only people on the tour ( August is the vine growers holiday so everywhere was open but very quiet).The tour was the best of the three we went on, our guide was lovely. We bought quite a few gifts in the shop and she gave me a book about the company as a gift. I had looked at it but it was 30 euro so didn't buy it.

Here's a few pictures about all our visits.


Castellane Champagne caves

Mercier barrel taken to Paris by 24 oxen
in 1900 - it took 8 days

Mercier Champagne

Outside Moet & Chandon - we didn't visit
their caves as it's not a favourite fizz

Nicolas Feuillatte - our favourite - big bottle please

Resting in the Garden of Vines

Nick in his Nicolas Feuillatte cap
- one of our purchases

Mumm windmill - they do all their corporate
entertaining here - my invite is on it's way :)

Lighthouse in the middle of the vines

At the top of the Lighthouse -
Reims is in the background

Reims Petit Train - I do love these

Reims Notre Dame

We had a fantastic time - and stayed another night in Calais with Flunch having mussels on their eat as much as you like offer - perfect ending :)

We do love France and will be visiting next summer, probably Etaples again, and I'm sure a weekend before then. I hope you enjoyed our photos - it's an area I would recommend and it doesn't have to cost a fortune, unlike some of the bottles a of fizz!!

A little bit of stitching

I have popped over to Julie's a few times for a coffee and chat (we never have time to stitch LOL) and she has lots of beautiful willow pattern in her kitchen, so for her birthday I stitched this:

Julie's tea towel

I took it to France and spent many a happy hour stitching away.

We went to the caravan this weekend and spent most of the time watching the amazing Olympics - we even ate in so we could watch Jessica and Mo. I therefore also got loads of stitching done which was perfect as I was a little behind with the Needlecraft Haven Round Robin. I have now finished my section on Lynn's birds.

Lynn's Round Robin

It is 'The Pecking Order' by Marolein Bastin. We've all stitched a section and now it goes to Dusty for the final piece.

Lynn's so far

I am having a blitz at Dad's in the garden before the summer nights end and I'm back at school. Today my Mum and stepdad came and helped me empty the greenhouse. I took lots of Dad's old plant pots and plant name tags to the local nursery as I didn't think it right to throw them away. They were very gratefuland said they would pass them on to charities or give to schools :) I have ordered a skip for Wednesday so can get much more cleared then.

Thanks for visiting - we're off to France for a week again soon, Champagne region, somy next blog may be a bit boozey.

Gifts & France

DH and I had a lovely 10 days in France - both DS and DD stayed at home so our first real time alone. We only went 30 minutes south of Calais because we always drive through this area and wanted to see more - and we'll be back again, it was fabulous. To be honest who needs to drive to the south anyway hee hee.

Here's a few of our many photos:

Our little blue house that was massive inside.

The view to the harbour

The harbour

Me at the Market

DH looking across to Dover

Holiday Romance

Les Miserables finale

We were staying at Etaples-sur-mer and our house looked right across to the harbour. The market was fabulous, and we found a couple of lovely bars, one on the harbourside. We took a boat trip one day to the end of the estuary and back; visited a few other local seaside villages; went to La Coupole which is a World War V2 bomber site; and saw an evening performance of Les Miserables (not the musical but retelling the novel performed by villagers) in Montreuil-sur-Mer where the novel is set.

A really lovely time - thanks to my lovely DH.

Stitching wise I have been making gifts - I made two of these coasters for my friends Karan (UK) and Cathy (US)

Coasters for Karan and Cathy

One of my colleagues is getting married this month but as we're not going to the wedding I gave her their gift on the last day of term. She opened it and then spent all day carrying it around as she loved it so much. I had been asking occasional questions to find out about colours and she was amazed at how exact they were. She has decided to put it on show on the top table at the wedding which made me cry - Annabel and Allan have a fabulous day x x x

Annabel and Allan's wedding gift

My last gift is for me - from my Mum. She has been making flowers at her latest craft course and made one for me. it's perfect for my Cath Kidston bag, thanks Mum.

Flower from Mum

I have stitched another gift but it's for Julie and she won't get it until I pop over on Friday so ssshhhhh until then.

Thank you for popping by - I do hope no-one gets those silly messages again and that you can all enjoy my blogging, much love x x x