Do you see..........what I see

 This is Purdy's favourite spot inside in the warm, watching the garden

She now uses the cat flap, going in and out, so she is as free as she wants to be, in the evenings she sits with us, she is a mouser, caught her spoils already.

 I had a good weekend stitching, done a few more patterns, the four flowers was a bit harder, alot of space between them, loads of counting and a bit of unpicking!

 I have started the second big lace panel, the square left empty is for the centre flower, I'm leaving that for now, want to see how things progress, might do something different here. Below pattern so far, it's looking good, nice and vintage.

Busy weekend, we went out for a meal on Saturday night with Su, Gav and Shannon, Sunday Kev went on an all day bike ride with friends, so I spent loads of time with Fliss, Josh and Sammy, it was great to catch up and chatter. Josh is getting very excited with Christmas coming, and Sammy is just so cute.

I have finished my Christmas shopping, still have to wrap it all, but I think I will wait until the tree is up.

TUSAL November

 Hefie has been watching my ORT jars

The girls are moving in, they are looking for a winter spot, my ort are mainly pink and mustard, reflecting the colours of my romantic sampler, Mollie has flattened them, the pot was looking rather full, but she has made a nest, I did notice the herd was moving toward the pots.

 Not done as much stitching as I wanted to, busy week, but I plan time this weekend to do stitching,

 I noticed these in my garden yesterday, wild strawberries in late November, I'm not picking them, I notice one had been nibbled so something is having a meal, so they can have a feast on them.

I'm working today, meeting Su for lunch, and then this evening off to the pub with friends. We have nothing planned for this weekend, the last couple have been busy, so a slower stay at home one is on the cards.

A big jump

 At the weekend I started this big length of lace, and last night I got it finished, it's another pretty section, I sit and stitch with a smile on my face, whilst working this, and as I have said before, each panel is worked on a repeat pattern, so I don't have to sit balancing the pattern on my lap, which is good cos Grace likes to sit on my lap whilst I am stitching.

A very busy day in the office today, but Kev met me from work on the bike and we took the quick route home, funny I did not feel at all cold on the bike, it was such good fun.

I will do more stitching tonight, I should wrap my Christmas presents, but I prefer to stitch. Tomorrow Su is meeting me for lunch, not sure if we are shopping or eating, I prefer we shop, but we can decide tomorrow.

I have started back on my diet, totally the wrong time of year, but the weight I lost in the summer is creeping back on. I have spent too much time feeling sorry for myself, time to pull myself together and sort myself out, if I have to wait for my final operation until next year, I can use the time to lose weight and get trim, went for a walk in my lunch break, much better than sitting in the staff room.

Progress

 I finished another lace panel this week, 

I do love the colour of this thread, 

I called it beige last time, but it's a soft mustard.

I also over stitched the 1st panel with the pale pink

 And started another long lace panel, the pattern is a repeat, so it's easy once you get going, my only problem is ensuring I am counting correctly, my last photo is not so good, the light this morning is not great. I am loving to stitch this, I have done similar things using limited colours.Click on the photo's for a better look.

 This is our spare bedroom at the moment, full of presents for Christmas, I am hoping to wrap them tomorrow, but even then they will have to stay on the bed until our tree goes up. It's going to be messy in there for a few weeks.

Today is sunny, I have been working in the garden this morning, picking up leaves and trimming away the last of my summer plants. I have shoots in all my tubs of the spring bulbs I planted last month, but as soon as the weather turns cold they will disappear. It is still much warmer here, but the temperature is beginning to drop.

This afternoon I want to make my Christmas cards, I am very late this year,I also have to make the invitations to our new years party. Su is popping in, she has cards to make so we can work together.

Now I'm off to eat home made soup, perfect....enjoy your weekend.

Beige on natural

 As the title states it's not the easiest of stitching, but I do love the lacy feel of this.

It feels very vintage, 

 and oh so pretty

I'm loving the dark evenings, loads of time to stitch, it just a slower pattern for me to do. I have been racking my brains to think how I will finish this off, I'm not sure, I think framed on the wall would not do it justice, but another cushion, I'm just not sure.

All mixed up

 Our garden is looking good, ready for the winter, 

the leave are late dropping from the magnolia tree, I pick up a hand full each morning.

Not done much on the sampler, just finishing the top stitching, which makes 2 sections done

 Purdy has found her spot sat on the back dining room chair, she lays there and watches us, she has started using the cat flap if we prop it open, but she is a house cat by her own choice.

The parade was good, Josh when he marched past us was on the other side of the road, so we did not get a good photo, but you can see all the Beavers in their blue tops in this photo, they were placed right at the front, and had the best view.

 Josh, mummy and Nana, after every thing was over, just on our way home for a hot drink.

I am busy baking, and Kev is cooking a roast dinner, we have both daughters, hubbies and the boys over for a late lunch, should be fun, probably far to much food, so left overs again tomorrow.

I've not done much stitching, yesterday we ended up going to town and Christmas present shopping, most of mine is now done, we were going out for a meal later but decided to stay at home with a chinise meal. This evening Kev is away with work, so I have a friend popping in to catch up.

Busy weekend but loads of fun

That's better

 It's been a busy week, not done to much stitching, but at least I have not done any unpicking.

I have almost finished the big panel, it is very simple to stitch, no pattern required, just copy the previous flower, and I love the thread colour, I really do like stitching with pinks.

 These photo's are not great, it was so dark when I took them and my flash is not great. I have more stitching to go on the bottom and a couple of panels to add to the right side.

It's been a busy week, so I'm glad the weekend is here, got to pop to town to collect a Christmas present, and a few other things, I am beginning to feel in the mood for Christmas, even thinking of how I will make my cards, I am very late this year, normally they are all made by now.

The weather forecast is good, so I will get some time in the garden, my main job is picking up leaves from our magnolia tree, thank goodness we only have one tree. There are no other jobs required yet, my last few flowers are still in bloom, and I still have roses on the bushes, they can all be cut back later.

Tomorrow Josh has his first parade with the beavers on Remembrance Sunday, so we are going to watch him (photo's will follow), then home to cook a family roast, every one will be here, loads of catching up and fun.

123 456 7 8 9

 I can count, you can see I can count, so why did I spend most of the weekend with the frog, in two places I stitched just one row out, and in this pattern there is no room for error. So three steps forward one step back! so not much progress to see.

 This is what met me last night when I got in from work, hubby had been busy.

 A romantic meal for two, and an evening with friends, 

yep yesterday was my birthday, 

and Kev made a big effort, the meal was perfect.    

and flowers.

 Loads of different types, spiky and strange in the most beautiful way,

I had a perfect day, work was fun, ate cakes all day, lunch with Su my daughter. Tonight we are popping in to see Fliss and the boys, daddy is away, I really hope Josh is feeling better, he has had a sickness bug.

We are going out for a meal on Saturday, followed on Sunday watching Josh march in the remembrance parade with his Beaver pack, then late lunch at ours.

Purdy

 Purdy arrived yesterday, she is about a year old, but we will find out more once she has seen the vet later this morning

She is a stray taken in by friends, who have a dog and Purdy does not like dogs, so she with us now, she did hiss at Grace a few times, but that did not bother Grace at all. She is settling in well.

Grace has been so cool about it all,

Last night we each had a cat on our laps, so fingers crossed.

We are not planning to go any where this weekend, both daughters are away tonight, so we will have to fed their cats, so it's a stay at home time.

Vet has given Purdy the all clear, she had her first jab, been chipped.

Flowers and our boys

 I have done more stitching, and loving the patterns, but at the top I had to remove loads of the pale stitching, not sure what happened, but it was all in the wrong place. Once I have restitched this is the pale mustard, I then over stitch in pink, will look like lace.

 Josh is now a Beaver, youngest pack in the scouting family.

 

Here he is enrolling into the pack, Josh loves baseball caps, so he was very pleased with this one, but we are going to have to get him to practice his salute, it's great to see him start his participation with the scouting movement, best place for boys to grow up.

 Sammy came to, bring some of his Tellietubbies, the day after this photo, he came down with chicken pox, so he is now covered with spots, poor lad.

We are planning a weekend at home, we have a new family member arriving today, a young female cat, she is white and black, about a year old, not sure about anything else, she was a stray and needed a home, so we will stay near the house to help her into her new life.

Stitches and November colour

 A few more stitches on my Romantic sample, it's just 5 colours and it's already looking good.

 The garden has loads of flowers still, they are not all at their best,
but it's great to see, below our garden in November.