This and That....

Our very short outing with dh went very well, went out to dinner that thursday evening with a couple of his colleagues who is taking the same exams the next day. Quite a very good fish restaurant near the hotel where we stayed. The next day while they went to school i drove to a friend's place, my very first time to go alone with the car in the mainland, atleast about 30 minutes drive. I was quite nervous but i am really happy with the navigation system, i reach the place fine and back in the afternoon to pick up hubby for home. All the time, i am at the steering wheel and feel more confident when hubby is beside me, though i tend to make mistakes when he's in the car with me but still for most of the time i prefer if he's with me. But i really need to get use to being alone as it will be the case when he's away for work.

Yesterday came our friends for the weekend, mother and son. Actually quite a sad story with these two. It was the father's funeral last friday, died of cancer after 10 months discovering about it, he was only 43 years old. They were divorce for more than a year when it was discover and he has a new girlfriend. To make the story short, our friend the mother of the child isn't welcome to visit or whatever and isn't welcome for the funeral too. That's where i went to last friday.

The kids would really like to go and and play outside but it was too cold so we took them to one of the open museum here(not many are open here this time of year), to Ecomare. Thought we will be on time to see them feeding the seals but we didn't


manage it. Took most pictures outside, with the seals. If anyone interested you can see or read more about Ecomare on their website. fom left, Çhris, Grace, Julian & jocabel.







From left, Julian, his MUM, me and Chris.
They're back home now and she called me an hour ago that they had enjoyed their stay.



As for STITCHING...here is my first update for the "Home is where...". I am doing this project with Tinna and just seen her update which she started from upper right corner while i did the opposite, lower right corner. Next update will be next weekend!!




Finished the fourth quilt block. Will be sending to South Africa tomorrow, hope Leandre's friend will like it. This will be the last block for the a while as i need to complete a couple of items for exchanges and try to work on a few projects that was started last month.

Thank you all so much for stopping by and all the lovely comments. I really appreciate them all.

3 quilts block down!

Blue Tit baby
EMS freebie
14ct aida
DMC threads

Here is the third i've completed this month for the quilt blocks at ILCS. This one is for Vicky. I just hope she will like it.


I received this beautiful block from Tinna(no blog) for my Friendship quilt. I just LOVE it. Thank you so much TINNA for stitching this design for me.

The winner picked up by Chris for the January giveaway is Helen. Please email me your address info and i will mail it off to you by next neek.

In about an hour i am off with DH to the mainland and we'll be home friday evening. He came home unexpected last night as he doesn't have class today due to exams given, for him is scheduled for tomorrow, but he has a meet up with a few in his class this evening that is why he wants to return earlier and ask if i can go with him. MIL agreed that the children stay with her so now we will be off soon.

Thank you all so much for stopping by and all the lovely comments. I appreciate them very much.

Max's been to the trimming parlour!

What a rushed i had this morning as the appoinment made last year for Max's trimmings at 9am was quite early, but i have to bring Chris first to school and pick up Max-(the owner can't bring him himself as he has to go to work). Have to drive about 20minutes to the parlour. When we made the appointment DH thought he's home then but ohhh no! He's away for a 2 weeks course, though he will be home weekend.
Took this picture of Max outside the parlour
when i didn't opened tha car door at once. DH had asked me to take a picture before and after the trimming but i was sooo in a hurry i forgot my camera!

Took this picture while he's content lying down on the kitchen floor when we arrive while i am preparing lunch for me and Chris. Grace have lunch box everyday during school days.
After lunch i called the owner at his work if i could keep Max till Saturday as DH want to see him too and he said fine and brought his food. I think he's happy that Max is here as he doesn't have much time due to his work.

We don't ussually take pictures especially on adults birthday so that is why i haven't attach any picture on my last post. Here's a group picture of our friends during one of our outing previous year. Most them came in the evening and a couple came in the afternoon while one couple had called that evening that they are on the mainland, so they couldn't make it.
In the afternoon where mostly family, 2 sisters of DH with their husbands, MIL, a couple of neighbours with their kids and a few other friends.

Three of these designs from different magazines i had started and the 'Home is where... will start it next week, together with Tinna(no blog). We expect to finish it in 4 weeks, now we'll see if i really can make it as i keep on starting new projects while i still have lots unfinished!


A squirrel block for Sharyl's quilt, her theme was animal. Hope she will like it. Next, i am finishing for the quilts are EMS babies and Circus theme. Still a few more on the list but do hope to be done with this before 2009 ends.




Meari: the snacks are off puff pastry(store bought)one was filled with ham, pineapple and cheese while the other one was filled with tomato sauce, salami & cheese.

Thank you all so much for stopping by and all the lovely comments. I deeply appreciate them all.

Weekend update!

Weekend went by very quickly! We spent the whole afternoon at the football fields for Chris. They are having tournament for these three saturdays, two more to go and then the season is off till September again.
Last saturday, they had played four times to different teams and they've won all four so they were the first on their category. We were so in a hurry to leave that midday i forgot to take my camera with me, glad one of the mother's has her camera so here's a picture of the boys with their medals.

Sunday, mother's day, Grace and Chris came and woke us up at around nine with a tea tray and presents. So we had all tea together on our bed while opening what they've made and bought. Chris painted a flower pot at school and placed seeds on it, he can't remember anymore what's the name of the plants...
Grace painted a flower in watercolours and it came out great. I hope to frame it soon.
Aside from that, their father took them to the shops last friday for them to picked what they've like to give me. They've picked up lotion(Nivea, and a big one as i use that daily), shower gel and perfumes. Isn't that great of DH!!
After all that, we prepared and been to MIL's place. Together with Kees two sister's we bought her a terrace bench as she've thrown the old one last month.
For dinner, Kees had reserved a table at a restaurant where he especially asked if they have a children's corner. When we got there, the table was really close by the area for the kids to play, i know how small kids can be very noisy so i asked if we can have a table a bit further away as Chris showed no interest in joining the small ones to play. he's 7 and he feels big enough and doesn't want to join the smaller ones (ages 2- 7). We had both their game boys so they were busy with that.
Anyway, everything went well and we had a nice meal...!



This is a small finished recently.

Thanks so much for dropping by and the nice comments on my recent biscornu finishes.

Scissor fob received!

I received my scissor fob exchange from Renee with a beautiful postcard of IOWA. The scissor fob is so cute, thanks so much.




I finally completed this block for a quilt and now on it's way to the U.S. Had to work on it whenever i got the chance as the deadline for it is the end of this month and i am really glad i made it. It took me longer than i had expected due to social life which was really busy these past weeks.
It is the first time in weeks that we don't have any scheduled or appointment this weekend, so i hope to sleep in...oh no Grace will be pick up before eight for the swimming club, but atleast no hurry to go anywhere or prepare for anyone. But there's a chance that some friends drops by if they see we are home as ussually happened too.

Thanks so much to all for the nice comments with the scissorfobs i had made for Outi.
I am so sorry i am way behind in reading blogs, i do take a peek sometimes but don't take the time to leave a comment.

The first week of school went well for Grace and Chris, only getting up early in the morning were a bit of a problem. Next week will be more busy for them as other activities outside school are starting too, like the Chess club and gymnastic for both, and swimming lesson for Chris.

With stitching, did quite a lot mostly for blocks/quilts for the yahoo groups, a few cards for birthday exchange. This morning, got an unexpected call from my boss if i can help them tonight and since we don't have anything planned i agreed. When i get in at six PM, i noticed one of our colleages who ussually work these weekend were not there and heard later that she just walked out the door during lunch as she can't take it anymore, being short staff and too busy. Honestly, it is not that fine with everyone at work these last months!

This is one of my finish this week:

This was received today which was really quick as i sent it yesterday afternoon. It's a birthday exchange on one of the yahoo groups here. One is stitched card and another is any stitched one which is already finished, like coater, scissor fobs, etc. Some had given their themes, like this one. This was just started and i am really curious what everyone's had made for her.


This is for the CSE may block which is on the way to the U.S now. My April block didn't arrive on time so i had missed it. After two weeks, we thought it was lost but it did appeared but then it was late for the exchange already. Hope this one will arrive on time..

Last weekend went well with Chris so we let him go to school yesterday and to his chess club that evening. This morning, he was coughing and it doesný sound good so we didn't let him go to school, instead we call the doctor and appointment was scheduled this afternoon. I am at work then so dh took him to the doctor. Glad it was not that bad as we had expected, just lots of phlegm so we have to give him cough syrup for the coming days.
Here's a quick finished last weekend. A san man freebie design.

.........and here's what i have to finish before the weekend. It's a rr and should have to be mailed on the first of may. The 'x'are all done, just the back stitching to be done, not much actually but it does needed quite some time for it.

Finished these couple of blocks earlier this week for the blocks exchange on the yahoo group. These are for the month of June, i am really glad i am ahead with these as starting next week i will work more days and probably long days too.

Aside from these, i work on a rr..no pics as there's not much done yet and these couple of small charts, will finished it into cards later.


Whew! what a busy day today, dh decided last night that he's going to do some painting in the kitchen, the door post & window sills. It was after lunch when we finally started scrubbing as he has been called to solved some computer problems of one of his clients. WOW! what a dust all around!!! But we've finished with that and he's now painting one of the door post to see how's the colour we had chosen. It was light blue. It looks good so far but we have to see it in daylight how it really is as it is now nearly ten PM.

For the hardanger, haven't touch it this week and will not work on it till after next week. I am afraid, not much stitching will be done next week. I will be working monday & tuesday and after that will be busy for some preparations for dh's birthday. His birthday is the 9th of April which is sunday but he will celebrate it saturday.

I am not sure anymore when did I started this one, i think end of last year or the beginning of this year. I want to go further with this one, only there is one thing that is putting me off is the picot one. We'll see......




Finally done the backstitching on the dutch girl.





Also stitched three blocks on Jayne's rr, the middle on the left side, top and bottom on the right side. I am only supposed to stitch two blocks and then send it back to Jayne but one was left to be stitch, (it was because one had dropped out a while back)i offered to stitch the last block for her. Now, it's on the way back to the U.K.



Today's SBQ was suggested by Carol and is:

Have you ever participated in a needlework mystery (i.e., a design that you started before knowing how it will look in the end and by which you receive parts of the design via the internet, magazines, or leaflets at spaced intervals)? If so, why did you decide to do the mystery? What appealed to you about it? Did you enjoy it? If you have not done a mystery, would you ever do one?

No, i never participated in a needlework mystery as most i have seen so far where all outside the country where i live and it needed cc for payment and i don't have one.


Last week SBQ:

Do you stitch "over one?" If so, describe your experiences. If not,
have you considered it?

No, i haven't tried stitching over one yet. Perhaps, if i have encountered a chart that needed to be stitch over one that i like i will surely try it.

monthly blocks!!!

.... for the monthly block swaps on the yahoo groups. March, fruits & vegetables theme. Can't find a pattern that has both so i end up with this fruit only. April theme is home/house...now i am atleast ahead with this one.

Just came home from a friends birthday. He celebrates it tomorrow but it is a very busy day for us so i had called this afternoon if we can drop by tonight and it was okey.
MIL celebrate her birthday too tomorrow, so we are going there mid morning but have to be home atleast by 12PM. Have lunch and then bring Grace to the gym club in town as she has joined a gymnastic competition. They have to be there at around 1PM for warm up, we are not sure when it will really start but we hope to know it tomorrow as we have to go to another friends place sometime in the afternoon too. They transfer to another house and they have a party tomorrow afternoon. Why oh why, all these in one day!!!