Two days worth

I have decided to only update my blog every other day just because I wind up spending too much time on the computer, and I want to watch the Paralympics.

Not been up to much apart from stitching, the girls have gone off today with MIL to a fun day, I am waiting at home for my uncle to arrive, gonna get the house cleaned up and do some stitching in peace while I have the chance lol.

Here is where I am up to,

Tuesday night

Wednesday night.

I think you will agree it is looking good. I am hoping to get it finished within the next week. I am setting a deadline of 9th September to get it finished.

Well a girl can hope can't she. 

Well off to do some housework, speak soon xx

Triple Wedding update

Well, not been doing much as the school holidays are coming to a close (thank God!! lol) I have been getting the back to school preparations done.

Oh, of course I have been doing some stitching too. Here is 'The Wedding' from Saturday night

Sunday night

And finally tonight

I must say it looks better in real life than in the pictures, but now there is definite work being done it is spurring me on more to do that extra few stitches. Though today I got a little distracted by the kids and ended up frogging a large part as I had used the wrong colour :(

Anyway, off to bed for me now speak soon.

Ready, steady, PANIC!!

It is time to take Jade home today :(  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  booked the tickets, got everything ready and off they went. However, they just set off when I get a phone call saying  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  had forgotten the rail card, which makes the tickets  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  bought void... men and useless are words that do go very well together lol.

After I panicked trying to get someone to take me to Doncaster with the rail card so  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  could get the trains  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  booked. Unfortunately, no one was available to take me and so he had to try and change the tickets and get a later train so I could get their on the next train and give him the rail card.

It was OK, in the end he managed to get Jade home, and I got a train ride to Doncaster and back for no reason. But, I have now caught a chill, after being caught in a down pour of rain without a coat or brolly :(

Not going to stay here long as I want to get curled up in bed with a hot chocolate, but I wanted to give you last nights update on 'The Wedding'. Here it is.

I had to do a little frogging as I wanted to change the colour of the dress, you will see it better in the next update as I want to get a large chunk of the left hand side done today. 

Oh, yeah, (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  got me some more just because flowers again today how lovely are these??

He is scoring some major brownie points with all these flowers bless him.

I think he will forget our wedding anniversary and will have enough points to cover it lol what do you think?

OK all off to bed for poor little me for a little R&R.

Speak soon xx

Being lazy

I have done very little these last few days.

Well I say that , but I have sorted through all the girls school uniform to see what still fits and what is needed new. That was fun I can tell you. The only one willing to do it was Jessica but then she is super excited to go back to school and stay there all day and have a packed lunch.

I am not one of those mothers that throws out last years school uniform and starts again from fresh each year. I just think what a waste, especially as Jessica is now wearing some of Kerry's old stuff. I am pretty old school in that respect, I would use something until it has gone beyond what any reasonable person would and then would try to think of a new use for it lol.

Even with me saving as much uniform as poss from last year it will still cost a further £130 to completely kit them all out. How do people afford to start from scratch each year??

I have had a bolt from the blue as well, I made some cupcakes for the Queens Diamond Jubilee earlier on this year. Well, I had completely forgotten about it until my MIL came and said someone came into the shop where she works and asked if I made cupcakes to order. So MIL took her number and now I have a job to make 24 cupcakes for this ladies daughters pregnancy shower. How cool is that??

I have also gotten myself the Kindle app on my phone, which means I have been reading up a storm too. So far this week I have read, 
Rules of Lying by Stephie Smith which was good I would give it 4 out of five,
Confessions of an Entrepreneur by Alana Sugar it was ok, short, well written but nothing of substance I give it 2 out of 5,
My Boyfriend's Back by Chrissy Olinger, This was also a short story but this was great, gripping, funny, and generally a good feel good. If you have seen drop dead gorgeous on t.v you will get what this book is on about I give this one 41/2 out of 5, 
I am part way through another 2 stories and will tell you about them as I get there.

Just a quick update on 'The Wedding' as I have been lazy and not done much but here is where I am up to.

The whole of the top right corner is now complete, also the first three pages on the chart are now done woohoo, 3 down 6 to go lol.

Speak soon x

Sunday Dinner yummy

We went to MIL today for Sunday dinner on Monday, as she wasn't here to do one on Sunday. We didn't know this plan until I was half way through cooking mine so we have had a Sunday dinner two days in a row. I can tell you I didn't eat much today as I was still stuffed from yesterday. My SIL then decided to 'do' a barbeque and so we went there for our tea. I managed to eat half of a hot dog and I was stuffed. All I really wanted to do was get home and get stitching, how sad is that lol.

Well as promised, here is my Great Grandma Churmes stuffing recipe.

4 slices of bread made into bread crumbs

one onion finely sliced

fry off onion

in a large mixing bowl add bread crumbs, sage and the fried onions mix well.

add two eggs and mix until all is combined

spread flat and bake until golden brown

I must say it is delish!!

My yorkshire puddings came out amazing as per usual. Here is my method.

 Equal amounts egg, flour, and milk.

I use one of my prep bowls full to the top.

Whisk until smooth (takes about 1 min for me)

full each well in your stone muffin pan to 1/3 full. With the stone you don't need oil or to heat it up first!! do it from cold.

This is what they will look like when cooked. 

I forgot to take a pic of our cheesecake and of the meat so I won't put them up till next time I do them :)

I haven't done much on 'The Wedding' at all really as I have been cooking up a storm, and I got a migraine so went to bed early :(

Here is where I am up to

I know it doesn't look like much has been done, but here is the chart before and after the stitches I have done.

As you can see the one on the right is coloured in more in the top right corner than the one on the left. As  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  and Jade were stitching more on 'The Wedding' I decided to make a start on one of my Christmas stitches. I am starting a Margaret Sherry design of a mouse and robin. Here is where I am up to.

I am going to get a bit more done now so speak soon x

Double update

I haven't done much on 'The Wedding' over the last two days as  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  and Jade have been doing 'their bit'. It almost killed me letting them take over, I was not a happy bunny lol. Here they are giving it a go.

Thing is  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  really got into it and continued for a couple of hours, while I sat twiddling my thumbs.

Here is the result at the end of Friday

And this is it at the end of Saturday

As you can see, there is more of the white at the top done (that's all I would trust  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  to do without supervision lol.  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  managed around 150 stitches in 2 and 1/2 hours)

We took the girls to the cinema on Saturday to see Top Cat, they do a family special film where it costs just £1 per person (of course if you are like me you will sign up on line and get yourself a further 10% discount)

The younger girls loved it, Jade not so much and I fell asleep half way through.  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  was my pillow lol.

When we got home from the cinema we were greeted by these

Jessica liked the yellow one Emily liked the orange one. We made flags with them here are the girls doing just that.

 

 In other news Kerry has finished her cross stitch. She is very proud of it and I must say for her first one she has done very well. 

Can't wait for her to give it to Jade as she is so excited about it. 

I have also joined a group that takes photos of their waste jars, so you will see the label TUSAL and a picture like this.

For more information about what this is about then go here to read up more about it.

Anyway off now to cook a Sunday dinner! woohoo getting excited about it how sad am I?

Speak soon x

3 in 1 Update

We have all been busy with our cross stitches. I was right, Kerry and Emily both wanted to do more cross stitching while Jessica was away at my Mums.

And of course when Jess came home all she wanted to do was stitch. Love the highly contagious stitchy bug lol. Here is the latest on their work.

I'm sure you would like to see how I'm going too with 'The Wedding' well here is update one

Update Two

Update Three

I love being able to see the progress like this as when I'm actually stitching I don't feel like I have got anything done. But I can clearly see on here where I have gotten to. Does that make sense to you??

As you can see I have started on the flowers, this part is becoming a pain in the butt, as there are so many colour changes in them. I will get there with them though, and I am actually really excited to see how they will turn out.

Did I tell you my Mum got herself a puppy?? Well he is called Monty and looks like this.

He is such a cutie.

Mum is very happy with him.

While I have been absent I have created a to stitch list by going through all my World of Cross stitch magazines. I have worked out that if I stitch one of each design, and stitch everyday for 3 hours, it will take me 2.2 years to complete it all. That is working on the estimated hours stitching the magazine recommends. I know I stitch slower than what it says in the mags so, so far I have aroung three years of stitching to do lol. However each time the mag comes out my to stitch list will grow bigger and bigger. 

Have you got a to stitch list?? If so, how big is it??

Speak soon xx

Family cross stitch day

The girls and I have been working together again today on our cross stitches, I love how my hobby has sparked their interest too.

Here they are ready for bed still stitching away. In fact they were so excited to get back to their stitching that bath time was a breeze they wanted to be in and out as fast as they could.

Jessica is 'finishing' a project started 3 years ago by our former lodger. I won't be finishing it off and so I gave it to Jess. She wants to get up early in the morning to finish it off.

Emily is putting colours on in her own style. You can see at the top in the green she is getting the hang of doing the actual crosses to make up a stitch. Once she understands this part I can move her on to an actual chart so she ends up with a finished 'proper' picture.

And last but not least, Kerry is doing a butterfly as a gift for Jade, who is coming over on Wednesday. She is really wanting to get it completed in time for the big arrival.

In fact all the girls  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  are excited to see Jade again. It's strange not to see her everyday. 

As for me, my stitching had had to take a back seat, as I have been helping the girls with theirs. Though Kerry is now getting really good at threading her own needle, I still have to help her occasionally. Jessica however, needs her needle rethreading after virtually every stitch lol. Emily just needs hers doing at each colour change.

Here is how 'The Wedding' is coming along.

This is a closer version of the one on the right.

I still haven't had any guesses for the 'prize stitch' here it is again for guessing. Just put your guess in the comments box!

Jessica is going to my Mum's for a couple of nights tomorrow, wonder what we will end up doing without her. The way it's going they will just want to stitch all day lol. Speak soon xx