Thursday 25 February 2016

Slowly does it!

Hello happy friends!!

Thought I had better pop in before you all think I have gone AWOL! Hee hee

My energy levels are very very low still with no sign of improving, so I am trying to cope...rather re-adjust around them! I am tired and very sleepy a lot, as well as not having much patience, not a good combination for stitching really.  But I have been putting the odd stitch in here and there when I can. 

Jon and Han are amazing and have been trying to reintroduce foods to me... It's a difficult process as I am still being very sick.  We have all come to the conclusion that dairy products are a huge no no! No chocolate! No yogurts! No milk! No cheese! It's a nightmare! I keep trying.. I need to because I actually love food!! It just does not like me at the moment! 

So stitching... 

No big big changes, I will show you what I have been up to... Some stitches are better than none! 

The ABC little SAL released the next design, it's adorable! If you like it, there is a little link in my side bar   go take a look! 

It's J K and L ....


What I have so far...


It's an adorable happy sal and I am so pleased I joined in on it.  

Next ....

Mary Gail, the wonderful Scarlet Letter design had a few stitches, but my concentration was not up to it.  I will keep trying as I am so close to finishing this soon.

This is how it was last time I showed you...


And what I managed..


Let me tell you, that blue flower was harder than it looks! I am pleased I stuck with it enough to do the flower as I would of been mad with myself the next time I pick it up! Slow but steady :)

And finally, to share with you the lovely Gathering Honey design...

This is how it was last time I showed you...


How it is now...


Yes I decided to take a different direction and stitch all the edges... Not sure why I decided upon this really? I this as to me it showed the whole design and I guess with my slightly odd way of thinking, it would be a easier way to stitch?! Ha ha some logic! 

Oooh yes... Not sure you all are aware of the size of this design I am stitching? I took a photo of my stitching scissors in the middle for a kind of scale? 


It's because I have stitched it over one I think? I believe it's 22 count I am stitching on... I like it a lot!! I hope you all do too? Again slow but steady progress... I just have to fill it in now! 

Thank you all so so much for popping in to see me..and welcome to all the new followers! 

Right.... I am popping off now! Until I next pop in, remember ....... Keep smiling!! Xx


Friday 19 February 2016

Just love stitching!

Hello happy smiley friends :)

I am no better really, still very tired and exhausted.... Only now I am functioning at a slower pace! 

I have found something else I can eat!! Yipppeee!! I have a very limited diet right now with all my stomach issues so finding something else is awesome! 

Petite pois and butter beans! Oh with a sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper! Mmmm


Slower but still stitching!

I have been stitching buzzzzing bees on the Gathering Honey design.

Here is where I left off last time, only two bees.


Then... More bees!


The bees look simple enough, quick you may think?! No! Each bees actually takes me around an hour! It's rediculas the amount of colour changes in one bee... Oh but I love how they look!  This means the whole bottom part of the design is complete now! I think I will carry on going up the right side now...the flowers look so pretty.

I have been stitching more!! 

More on the stunning Scarlet Letter design Mary Gail.  It's a rather silly but it was calling me to stitch her! Ha ha well actually it was looking at me from the cupboard, it was feeling neglected so I decided to put a few stitches in! Mary Gail is stitched on 45 count linen and takes a lot of my concentration to stitch.  I love stitching her but cannot do much with feeling so tired too, so I have been stitching her in small bursts! Hour here, hour there that type of thing! It's kind of working for now :)

Here is where I last left Mary Gail...


Here is where I am now...


I have chosen to outline all the parts in the mound first so that I am sure it's right! Ha ha then once all the flowers are in I will fill them in! It's moving along nicely and I am pleased with my progress today :)

Oooh yes!!
Remember a few days ago I posted a review for some fresh flowers from the Orchard at Tesco? No? Oh... Not to worry just go back a few days and you will see it! That's if you missed it :)

I was excited to see in my email that I was awarded exceptional for the review! Go me!! 



One last thing to leave you all with... This is potentially Hans new hair colour! Or colours! Ha ha I saw it online and showed her and now she wants it! Ha ha it's called unicorn hair! 


Han loves experimenting with her hair colour, why not! She has been purple, pink, silver, blue and now presently sporting orange! 


Then this status normal! Ha ha 


Ok happy smiles to you all...
Until I next pop in, keep smiling :)
Xx

Thursday 18 February 2016

Happy sewing....

Hello happy happy friends...

I have been poorly as you all know, been doing the odd bit of stitching here and there and I am pleased with my progress.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments and well wishes I was very touched :)

As you all know I am stitching Gathering Honey, this one if your not aware..


When I left you last time, this is where I was.. I think?


I have been bzzzzzzy stitching and am here now...

Without back stitching...




Then with back stitching.. All becomes clear! 



So now I think I better stitch the bees! Before I go around the corner...

Hope your all well and happy?

Until I next pop in..take care and remember to smile :)
Xxxx




Tuesday 16 February 2016

Lucky me!

Hello happy smiley friends :)

It's true lately I have not been feeling too well.... A lovely pick me up came in the post and I was thrilled!! It was Orchard vouchers for fresh flowers.

Some of you may not know but I every now and then test products and foods for free, yes for free!! with The Orchard at Tesco. 

Basically I get to try hand picked Tesco experiences, services and products and all I do in return is write a report giving my honest opinion. In case your wondering, I don't get paid for testing products either! I do it for the fun and it's nice to think my opinion counts.



The program I was invited into was Fresh Flowers from Tesco.  Who does not love flowers!!?? I was thrilled... 

You all know my health has suffered lately and being house bound is no joke...very boring at times! Han (daughter)  said I needed cheering up so some how we managed to get to Tesco with some help! Han went in and luckily they have mobility scooters and I was able to wiz around the store! Hee hee 

Yes we decided to do a top up shop whilst there... But the main reason was to look at the fresh flowers! If I am totally honest when I have been in the store on other occasions I have always by passed the fresh flowers.  Oh, I love fresh flowers so it's beyond me as to why I had always done that! I guess I had never thought about buying fresh flowers in Tesco! I glided by the fresh flowers and WOW! The draft I was causing with the scooter wafted all the fresh flowers and I was in heaven! 

Here are some of the flowers... I have Han to thank for all the photos! :)


How could I choose??!!





There were fresh flowers in such beautiful colours and arrangements... Actually really pretty and lovely smelling too! 

What did I choose?....


And I got Han a bunch of pretty carnations too...naturally pink!  I was pleasantly surprised at the range of prices for the fresh flowers.  There was a large selection to choose from and every bunch I picked up I cold see they were fresh and oozed quality.  

When we got home Han popped them into vases and WOW! They looked beautiful! Filled my room with the lovliest smell..


I thought I would wait a while to do a review on my blog for a good reason.... I wanted to see how long the flowers would last! Nothing worse than buying (or sampling free in this case!) fresh flowers and they die or droop after a day or two.

Let me tell you I am so happy to tell you all that all our flowers are still looking as lovely as ever some 7 days later!! Seriously impressed!!

Here are mine 7 days later.. The colours are beautiful, and all the freesias are open now.




And Hans fresh flowers 7 days along....



The care guide with the fresh flowers were easy to follow and Han has changed the water once since putting them in the vases.  To say that we are both thrilled that they look and smell as good as the day we chose them is an understatement! 

Naturally when my parents came to visit, that's been a few times over the last couple of days! Every time my mum has been so jealous that my fresh flowers are still alive, looking and smelling good! Mum was quite surprised when I told her they were from Tesco! And guess where she popped into on her way home??!! Ha ha yes! She went and got some fresh flowers! Awesome! 

I cannot get over the fact that I have overlooked the fresh flowers!! I must have a screw loose! It's brilliant as now when I can get to my local Tesco I will make a bee line for the fresh flowers...just because! Who needs a special day to buy flowers? Ha ha not me! And for those days I cannot get to the store I will instruct Han to buy me a bunch or two of the fresh flowers..a lovely surprise! 

I understand some of you that visit my blog do not live in England, shame as your missing out on such wonderful fresh flowers! 

Thank you for popping in and taking time to read my review, I would love to read any comments you have :)

Until my next post...keep smiling :)
Xx




Monday 15 February 2016

Uuuuuuuurghhh..

Hello smiley friends...
I did not want you all to think I had disappeared ...


Not sure what's been going on with me lately but I am just so very tired... It's not like I am running marathons on a daily basis, or any day for that matter! Ha ha

The tiredness is consuming me and making me feel so exhausted, sleeping you think would be high on my list of priorities? I wish I could sleep! I still have terrible insomnia.



As I am not moving about, not doing much at all, you would think I would be full of beans and sleeping great... No such luck! My body obviously does not need a lot of sleep seeing as I am not doing much of anything. But the whole ordeal is just wearing me out..

So...

I ask that during this phase....yes I hope it's a phase! I hope you all just bare with me and I shall bounce back, I am sure? I hope I do!! 

Thank you :)





Friday 12 February 2016

More bzzzzzzzing about! Ha ha

Hello happy smiley friends I am so happy to be here :)

I have been stitching away and loving every stitch :)

I guess you all want to see what I have been doing then? Hee hee

Yes done more on my Gathering Honey, I adore where I am now, stitching little bees.  They are very time consuming and so many stitches in each one!!

Here is where I was on my last post...


Here is where I am am now... Bzzzzzz bzzzzzzz


Closer...



It's so lovely and coming together now. I must say I have frogged the honey comb a few times! It's just messing with my eyes, but doing it in smaller chunks now and seems to be working out much better.

And I have stitched more..... Remember the Snowflower Diaries? There is the most cutest SAL (link in my side bar) I had to join.

March has just been released so I stitched it and here it is... 


January, February and March together....waiting for April now!


I love how they look...so cute :)

I have also been doing some other...yes other!! Stitching..

This... Just something about bees!!


It's from Cross Stitch Collection magazine.. February 2016 issue. This one...and you can see the bee design I did in the top right corner.


Whilst stitching, it was a lovely design to do...


Before I made it into a pin cushion...


I stitched this cute bee and think it's adorable that I may actually do it again!! 

Oooh yes!! I have also done a little frogging! Remember the other cute little SAL ABC that I am doing too? (Link in side bar) well I was looking at it and just not happy with one of the colours...so I changed it!! 

Here is how it did look....


Here is how it looks now....


A liitle change, but I am happier now! Oh you can't see the changes? Here is a close up...


I changed the acorn leaf and the stem of the flower! Ha ha that's all but I am much happier now :)

Nothing much really happening here! Just me stitching and stitching!! 

I hope your all well and ooooh yes...


Big big big happy smiles to you all :)

Xx