ally's space

Last summer I took part in an awesome postcard swap organised by sian over on highinthesky.  I loved the cards that I received and they are still displayed on my fridge. So when I saw a post to say Sian was running a Valentine's postcard swap I jumped at the chance to join in.  Then I panicked I mean the theme is postcards of something you love. I googled things, looked on eBay but nothing grabbed me until today.  As you may or may not know I work all over the South East and I can usually be found dashing from a coffee shop to the office. Well this morning the traffic was kind and I was early (I know I was shocked too) as I wandered along with time to window shop I saw a postcard display in the window of Paperchase.  One whole rack of valentines themed postcards, so of course I figure it was meant to be so entered and purchased these beauties..... I thought about choosing one design and sending everyone the same but I couldn't chose. I mean the Penguins are cute as a...

Can you believe that we are almost at the end of January. Traditionally this month is a long dark month, full of resolutions broken and a spending ban lol. Well this year it has flown, work and life are so busy right now. We have had parents evenings, college interviews (she got a conditional offer of a place), work, judo etc in between that as a way of staying calm I have been stitching.  I used to stitch and my exhusband hated it, I was an old lady etc etc so I stopped. Last year inspired by friend Rach's piece I ordered a new kit and started, making loads of mistakes an miscounting. But slowly it got better. Then I discovered stitch alongs, I joined in two month long ones (Halloween and Christmas) but these were intensive. I got the pattern late Friday night and by the time I look online Saturday people were already halfway through. I found the pressure to keep up was too much and gave up. It's supposed to be enjoyable but fitting it around work home kids was difficult. Via ...

So I have managed to grab a few hours to work on my two projects.... The story time sampler and zodiac sampler, both are year long stitch alongs. I couldn't decide which one to work on first so I sort of keep switching from one project to the other.  I am about halfway through each one for this month. So the story time is looking like this.... The first book being alice in wonderland. The zodiac sampler started with Capricorn and is looking like this... I am really enjoying both of these. And find it relaxing to pick this up and just concentrate on this after a long day. Yesterday I went on a macaron and mew guided walk of london district belgravia and it was a fun albeit freezing cold way to spend an afternoon.  I will be back another day with pictures.

Well two evenings stitching has meant that I completed the inner circles of my zodiac sampler by clouds factory.  Each month two new circles join the pattern with the astrological stars and then the animal representing the sign as well.  The pattern calls for satin threads oh my word they are difficult to stitch with so I have substituted them for normal DMC threads. Will post a I go. The other stitch along begins on Friday woo hoo! 

I popped into the local hospice charity shop and was just looking, nothing particular in mind and then I saw the piles of books. Now I slightly love my books, there are a few authors I follow as well and I came across two by cecilia ahern, I loved her first few books but then felt they were very samey. So I stopped reading her new books, but then I saw them for 50p so thought why not.  The other book just intrigued me from the back page so I picked it up as well.  So now they go on my to read pile, currently sitting at 15books so I should be some time lol Do you mooch in charity shops? What have you found?

This is the first attempt at January's clouds factory year long stitching pattern called zodiac sampler. So far so good.

Ok so I may have signed up to two year long stitch alongs, I couldn't decided which one, then I decided. But then on Instagram I started seeing the other one being started so sort of ordered that one too and quickly ordered the fabric and threads. So all ready and waiting are... Clouds factory zodiac sampler And the frosted pumpkin stitcherys storyteller sampler I figure I can try and keep up with both of these and project life. Easy right lol

Whilst working in southend on sea today I came across a tea room, now I love little quaint tea rooms and this one was smack bang in the middle of the high street. But once through the door I was greeted with an awesome mish mash of table, chairs, sofa, wall units and mirrors creating the most inviting scene.  I sat on a small table and ordered a tea, oh my word it was served in a fab sized cup and saucer, teapot and milk jug.  I drank my tea and took in the surroundings, the majority of customers were female aged 25-45 and mostly on their own. Like me escaping the day with some peace and quiet in quaint surroundings. After drinking my tea, I headed back to work feeling strangly calm and relaxed. Now I just wish it wa less than 55 miles so that I could return and sample their afternoon tea which was listed in the menu, sounds heaven. 

So my first finish of 2015 is my frostedpumpkin christmas celebration sampler.... There is a border but I messed up a few times on the linen so the height of the sampler is wrong. I need to work out how to fit the border around the edge. But I have signed up for not one but two year long stitch alongs. The first by the frostedpumpkinstitchery called story time.... January is alice in wonderland. I  have the kit ready and waiting. The second is a zodiac sampler by the clouds factory.... I have ordered the linen but need to buy the threads, this one started on the 1st but I only decided today to join in. I'm not sure how I will keep up with both but I can try.  Are you stitching, creating anything this year?

I left the two girls to follow the instructions of the rocky road house kit. After much frustrations they gave up as they had used too much chocolate on one set of walls and then did not have enough for the next set of walls. Hence the instructions split the chocolate into two piles, um nope! Hence the lesson follow the instructions  So what I decided was chuck it all in a bowl add extra choc and crushed up candy canes and make a rocky road slab, refrigerate and then serve. Yum!

So the morning was spent taking all the decs down and undressing the tree, before then wrestling the tree out of the door lol it's off to become mulch.  Everything is now back in the loft and I have a clear living room.  Yay! I am now going to devote a few hours to try and get more of my Christmas sampler complete before the new one starts on the 15th.  I also have a few penpal letters to write and project life to catch up on along with finishing my journal for Xmas lol. Who says I have time to go back to work Monday . So how was your new year? How does it feel to you when you remove the tree and decs. ???

Happy new year!!!! So here's to another year, what will it bring? Did you celebrate last night? We watched the fireworks curled up in bed with a cuppa. Then the neighbourhood let off their own fireworks so I stood watching them too. Ali Edwards asks what is your one little word for 2015. I have been thinking about this for weeks, I can't decide. I thought about calm or peace but in a house with 4 children there is no chance. I think it could be complete.  Complete the decorating, complete my cross stitches that are half done, complete project life for 2014. Lol So yes maybe my word is  Complete..... What is yours?