..i've been spoiled & more progress pics...

Lovely surprises were delivered here latey.
Here's all the way from Poland! So pity the cookie ornament didn't reach here in whole so we had eaten it and hmmm it taste really good. The ornament is so neatly stitched and perfectly finished, you had done a great job, Anna.


Here is from Spain! Edit, your sewing is sooo neat and the color of the fabric fits perfectly with the design.


...and a lovely self-made card by Nia from Portugal.

Such GORGEOUS ornaments as well as all enclosed goodies. LOVE them all!! Thank you so much; Anna, Edit & Nia for thinking of me.

The house renovations are progressing well. Only, the underfloor heating will have to wait...after six weeks, before we can turn it ON! That is sometime in FEBRUARY.
We had expected the painters to start today but they didn't turned up. That's actually one of the last to be done inside and then when it dries up we can start returning the things. Hopefully, after Christmas. Where we are staying have underfloor heating system so we are glad we could stay here till the end of December.
((click on all pics. to enlarge))




I hope everyone is having good start to the week. Thanks so much for visiting and all the kind comments. I really appreciate them all.

....this & that.......

First, i'd like to show these ornaments which one is left here for me and the other two were sent out. I love how they turned out. These were actually stitched up a few months ago and was able to complete them lately. The flat ornament still on the way to the new owner...

((click on pictures to enlarge))
The only exchange i signed in this Christmas and here is what i received from my partner. Love the sea shells design stitched unto the towel and look at all the cute goodies enclosed plus the stitched santa x'mas card-lovely finished! Thank you so much Wendy!!


Last weekend, we had 'Ouwe Sunderklaas'. This tradition is celebrated here on Texel every year on December 12. The children go out on the street in the afternoon, the adults at night, all dressed up and with masks to expose certain matters that have taken place on the island in a humorous way. For this, signs with text are used and voices are disguised to prevent recognition. Every villages have their own acts as it pertains ussually to what happened in that area. We stayed or Chris and i stayed here in our village while Grace went to a couple of other villages as she wants to see her friends for their acts. Hubby is away, in ITALY for his work.
These were some pictures i've taken... Chris played with a couple of his friends and won second place of group category.

These were the adults!

After this so-called 'speulen' (playing) the party is continued to the small hours in the pubs--the adults! The small kids ussually till around 10pm.


Progress is being made of the ongoing renovations....



Hubby's 8 weeks off was over, he left thursday last week, so he won't be able to see the upcoming progress. The kitchen was put back yesterday and tomorrow the workmen will start on the floor tiles and expected to be done by saturday.

Thank you all for stopping by and all the kind comments. I have't visited blogs lately, i am sorry...just that been quite hectisch lately. I hope everyone's having a goo week!!

"My Little Heart" SAL & more updates on the house!

After dinner last night while both kids took turns on the computer i stitched on the december block. Finally this SAL is completed! Thanks so much Sylvia for your generosity in sharing this lovely design.

More pictures of the ongoing works at the house...((pictures can be click to enlarge))



Today, all workmen are free due to "Sinterklaas celebration" we decided to go to the city(Amsterdam) for some shopping but after half an hour driving after the ferry we decided to turn back as the roads weren't really safe, wasn't cleaned at all and we were driving very slowly. It will take us hours to arrive to the city and back.

I am feeling guilty here... although i bought a few boxes of Christmas cards a few weeks ago but haven't had the energy and time to write on and send them out. It is too late now to send out....i am so sorry NO cards this year!

As always, i really appreciate your visits on my blog and THANKS so much for taking the time to leave me a comment.
HAPPY WEEKEND TO AL!!!

...still CHAOS over here!!

NO STITCHING update at all!! Too busy and too tired to sit and stitch. I had planned on making a couple of christmas ornaments to send out to friends before the end of November but it is now the last day of November and i haven't made any at all. Looks like not much stitchy gifts to send out this season.

Here's a few pictures of what's been done here the last two weeks. Pictures from yesterday haven't uploaded yet.


Hubby is nearly done with all the electricity wirings especially for the living room and the barn...the 'barn' acually will be turn into a guestroom.

The door from the living room to the kitchen.



The workmen are really working hard, even took overtime last night till around 10pm as they had to remove the kitchen, the wall connected to the playroom and the old cement floor as they had to place the new cement flooring early this afternoon. It was planned for thursday but because of the expected frost the next coming days the cement mixer wouldn't be able to come.

It means, i can't do baking anymore till the kitchen will be return, hopefully after two weeks if all goes well as planned with the works.

CHRIS 11th birthday tomorrow and he wants some sausages wrapped in puff pastry for treats at school so i asked one of my friends to use her oven for this. Chris is a bit disappointed that we aren't going to celebrate it as we are too busy and too small place for visitor's where we are staying so we promised to celebrate it end of January when we are settled back to our house and hubby is back from his work as he is due to leave sometime next week to Italy.

I hope everyone is keeping warm and having a good week.

...tiny finish, a b-day party & renovation pics.

The only stitching i could share, finished the November block of Sylvia's SAL.

...another of our friends turn '50' next week but he will be leaving this week to Brazil for work so his wife and kids organise a surprise party for him last weekend. So friday midnight we went & installed the doll at their frontyard.


They had celebrated it at one of the pub with live music. We sure had fun, lots of dancing...


Here are some progress pictures of the ongoing works at home. These were of last week works on the house.


And as always tried to make something for the coffee break. Also, always made some extra for their lunch break like soup or snack. It is sooooo cold over here so they does need something warm to eat.


As always, many many thanks for stopping by and all the lovely comments. All are very much appreciated. I hope you are all having a good week.

LK stamp, the winners... & work continues...

We don't have oven and washing machine here on the rented house so i went sunday evening to our house to make the apple cake and do the washing, while waiting for the cake i stitched on the LK December block and now the piece is done. Will have to wait for the buttons probably sometime next year, i am just glad it is done and can be store away.

I am so sorry this took me a while to pick the winners of last month blogoversarry. Finally here are the names: ,
Maggie, Cath, Nia, Sally Irene
Please do let me know your address info details and hope to send the ornaments beginning of next week. Thank you everyone for the blogoversary greetings!!


Work continues and here are some pictures taken from last week progress. Worked on the barn, filled in the footing with concrete as well as the flooring.



Last friday they started working on the timber wall frame inside for the living room.

Took a couple pics of some of the cakes i've made lately. Just simple ones as i am not good with decorating the cakes. Sometimes the whole cake is just enough for a day, as they have twice coffee break.


I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Many thanks for stopping by and all the kind comments.

Nov. x'mas SAL ornament & other pics.

This was my first finish last January this year and just finished it off into an ornament last weekend. I haven't stitched for a while now but i have a couple of small stitched designs that needed finishing so i am working on them bit by bit in the evening if i am not that sleepy.

Frosty Fun ornament
Prairie Schooler design
JCS 2009
32ct linen naturel
DMC thread

Concrete floor were put in last week wednesday, thursday the workers went somewhere as the concrete have to get dry. Friday they are back and the living room is full in working again as you can see on the picture below.


Late friday afternoon hubby worked on the barn trying to get rid of the old concrete flooring but it is too hard so he gave up and asked for a crane to help with the job.

The crane was provided yesterday and as you can see the barn tottaly removed by the end of the day.

Hereś what was done today, started placing the foundation for the barn which will turn into an extra bedroom. The weather isn't cooperating though, raining on and off amd expected for the coming days.


I've had helped whenever i can especially shoveling out the dirt/debris yesterday and then went to my Zumba lesson(every monday evening) in the evening....i had difficulty getting up this morning. I still feel sore until now, i think i better skip the Zumba dance after a hard days work next time.

I haven't had the time to pick the winners yet, hopefully before the weekend.
Thank you all so much for visiting my blog especially to those who takes the time to leave me a comment. I really appreciate them all.