Gifts, Looking Back & A Finish

I can't believe that Christmas is over and it's been just over a week since I last did a blog post! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas as we did. I have looked at blogs but I'm so sorry to say that I have not commented as I just haven't had time to sit at the PC and do that. We've been busy just about every day of the past week and have been having some fun:) We all received some lovely gifts and DH and I surprised the girls with a gift that is for all of us and Abi cried and Jess was totally speechless which is amazing for her! We had always said that we'd never be able to update our Playstation 2 console and get a PS3 but we had managed to save a fair bit of money for Christmas and we got a good deal on the console and two games and for once they were games that we knew we could all enjoy.

I received some lovely gifts from Julie, Karan, Karen and Lisa which you can see in the above picture. Thank you so much ladies; I love them all. There are thank you notes on the way via Royal Mail.

From Jess I got a CD and a diary and from Abi I got some very warm sheep slippers and some body spray!

DH bought me some charts and fabric from my wish list as well as some CDs and DVDs. The charts are Isabelle Vautier Cub 'O Love and Grilles De Maryse My Stitching Room Case. He also ordered Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Purse from Wyndham Needleworks but heard absolutely nothing about the order ( I have had this problem before) so he emailed them. They did reply quickly but what annoyed us was the fact that they knew they didn't have it in stock and knew it was on back order with Shepherd's Bush but didn't bother to email him to let him know when he'd done the order. Anyway they are going to send it as soon as it comes in but it was disappointing not to get it for Christmas especially when DH had ordered it towards the end of November.

I also received lots of lovely gifts from family including a Sony Walkman MP3, clothes, candles, chocolates, a Crop-o-dile is that right?!) with lots of bits with it and books.

Looking back over my last 12 months of stitching I think I have done rather well with what I have achieved even if I do say so myself! I had set myself some goals but took them off my side bar so far through the year as most of them were just not happening. So for 2009 I've decided not to set myself any goals at all other than things I am involved in which are The Beatrix Potter SAL ( starting tomorrow!), Christmas Ornament SAL and Basket of Biscornu. Also Chris and I are hoping to stitch a Shepherd's Bush needleroll a month which I am really looking forward to. I may decide to join in exchanges from time to time but that will depend upon what I am stitching at the time. I had joined Vonna's Me, Myself and I SAL but decided yesterday not to take part. I just can't see my way to taking part and feel much happier knowing that I'm not going to now; if that makes any sense! I want to try and get back to the other two HAEDs I have on the go and make good progress on both of them and maybe even finish Quick Stitch Girly Gothic. Other than that 2009 is going to be a stitch what you feel like year! My stitching for tonight is going to be Tanya's lovely new freebie New Years Birds which you can find on her blog. So here's my list of finishes for 2008.

• 59 Twisted Oaks Merry Noel Needle Nanny
• 58 Twisted Oaks Designs Merry Noel Stitching Smalls ( no.10 project challenge)
• 57 Mary Gary's Sewing Cabin Christmas Heart Pincushion ( no.2! For Juls)
• 56 Bent Creek Christmas Carols ( no.9 project challenge)
• 55 Blackbird Designs Blessings and Kind Wishes ( no.8 project challenge)
• 54 Paw Printings Penguin Hungs ( for Karen)
• 53 JBW Designs Gingerbread Christmas ( for Lisa)
• 52 Prairie Schooler Christmas Tree ( for Julie)
• 51 Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin Christmas Heart Pincushion ( For Christine)
  
• 50 The Workbasket Quaker Christmas Tree
• 49 Carriage House Samplings Merry Christmas ( no. 7 Project Challenge) ( for Chris)
• 48 Bygone Stitches A Quaker Christmas ( no. 6 Project Challenge)
• 47 Midsummer Night Designs Christmas Angel ( For Clare)
  
• 46 My Mark Designs Be Merry
• 45 Bent Creek Christmas Eve ( No. 5 Project challenge)
• 44 Stacy Nash Primitives Hallow's Eve
• 43 By The Bay Needleart Courage
• 42 The Sampler Girl Tea With Jane ( For Julie)
  
• 41 Prairie Schooler A Friend ( For Lizzy)
  
• 40 Just Nan Butterfly Heart ( For DH's auntie)
  
• 39 Ink Circles Sea Stars ( no.4 Project Challenge)
• 38 Windy Willows Noel
• 37 Alchemy Stitchcraft Tumbling Leaves( no. 3 Project Challenge For Hazel biscornu exchange))
• 36 Blackbird Designs Rites of Spring (LF# 30) (no.2 Project Challenge
• 35 SB Shepherd's Roll ( no. 1 Project Challenge)
• 34 Blackbird Designs My Pink House
• 33 IsaV Scissor Pocket Freebie ( Redwork Exchange for Jane)
• 32 Lavender Wings Planted Hearts Needleroll and Fob ( Birthday gift for Julie)
  
• 31 Debbie Draper Designs Love ( For Lisa)
  
• 30 Grilles De Maryse I Love Cross Stitch ( For KarenV)
  
• 29 WDC Design WDC in Blue Biscornu ( secret exchange for Angi))
• 28 With My Needle Ackworth Friendship Book (RR)
• 27 Twisted Oaks M'Lady's Needle Nanny ( For Chris)
  
• 26 Twisted Oaks M'Lady's Needle Nanny ( For Lisa)
  
• 25 Just Nan Morning Song
• 24 Blue Ribbon Designs Acorns and Owls ( For Andrea)
  
• 23 Twisted Oaks M'Lady's Needle Nanny ( For Jane)
  
• 22 Twisted Oaks M'Lady's Needle Nanny ( For Tracy)
  
• 21 Little House Needleworks Faith Hope Love ( needleroll exchange for Dusty)
  
• 20 Angelsan Snowman Fob ( For June)
  
• 19 The Cat's Whiskers Christmas Candles
• 18 Little House Needleworks Winter Wonderland
• 17 Indigo Rose Bee Charmer
• 16 The Drawn Thread The Caron Keeper ( For Paula)
  
• 15 Blackbird Designs Where My Heart Blooms ( LF#29)
• 14 Just Nan Queen of the Needle
• 13 Blue Ribbon Designs Alphabet Tree ( For Sammy Jo)
  
• 12 Prairie Schooler Winter Pinkeep
• 11 Prairie Schooler Spring Pinkeep
• 10 Blackbird Designs Bluebird's Needles and Pins ( For Julie)
  
• 9 Victoria Sampler International Hearts England
• 8 Victoria Sampler Tiny Things
• 7 Shepherd's Bush Lamb
• 6 Prairie Schooler Welcome ( Christmas Ornament)
• 5 Dragonfly Stitches Valentine Heart
• 4 The Drawn Thread Forget Me Not Scissor Keeper ( For Kyrie)
  
• 3 With My Needle Eliza's Pyn Pillow ( For Michele)
  
• 2 Blue Ribbon Designs A Christmas Wish ( For Sandy)
  
• 1 Blue Ribbon Designs Alphabet Tree ( For Lisa)
  

I have steadily been stitching away on Tournicoton Pere Noel and this is where I'm at. Not much more to go now so it'll be ready well in time for Christmas 2009! LOL! This has been lovely to stitch with lots of speciality stitches:)

Finally a little finish of Twisted Oaks Designs Merry Noel Needle Nanny to go with the other Merry Noel stitching smalls. I stitched this last week but only got it made up today!

Of course I cannot end my final post of 2008 without wishing everyone who reads my blogs a very Happy, Healthy, Stitch and Stash filled 2009. Thank you to all of you for your friendship throughout 2008 and I hope you will all continue to visit with me in 2009. I treasure each and everyone of you.

Hugs