Christmas roundup

I had a lovely Christmas with just Colin, Rachael and Luke.  My mum decided that she didn't want to come up this year and decided to spend Christmas at home on her own.  Our traditions include the kids opening their stockings from Father Christmas on our bed at 6.30am - although if they want to leave it later they can, I really don't mind!  After that it's showers, dress and down to open their 'big' Father Christmas presents.  Once this is done Colin makes breakfast for us all.  Chocolate pains for me and Luke, crumpets for Rachael and croissants for himself.  Once these are eaten it's time for teethbrushing and only then can all the gifts under the tree be opened.  Each year we take it in turn to choose presents from under the tree for each person to open then once each round is opened, the next person chooses another present for each person.

Rachael being the ripe old age of 12 now decided that she wanted to buy us each a present with her own money (usually she is given the money to do this).  Luke got a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, Colin got a model car and I got a Tiny Treasured Diamond from Mill Hill.  I think that is probably the best present I have ever received as she went through my sewandso.com wishlist without my knowledge and chose it before getting Colin to order it for her.  Luke gave me the pair of Union Jack flag scissors that I ordered a while back but had forgotten about!  Colin bought me 3 pieces of Sparklies fabric, a LK santa chart and some stamps for my collection.  There were also other assorted bits and pieces.  I was very lucky.

On Christmas Eve we went to midnight mass - at 6pm.  The church was packed with standing room only.  The children always enjoy this as they know, and usually like, the hymns for it.  They found it terribly confusing though this time with the new order of the mass books and the old mass book with the readings etc in.  The readings and psalms were completely different to the book.  Looking around the church it wasn't just them that were confused though!

Onto stitching news...I have been working on the 2nd round of the RR still.  It should have been mailed weeks ago but with my cross stitch lamp bulb going, it has been hard to stitch.  There are loads of fractional stitches and it is on aida so I REALLY need my lamp for it.  I have now received the new bulb so hopefully will get it wrapped up in the next couple of days.  The next leg arrived today and is quite cute although looks like a hard chart to follow.  I think I will need to enlarge the chart a bit when I get to it.

I have signed up for Theme-a-licious over on Its all geek to me and have a page at the top with my plans for the year which I will be combining with my WIPocalypse stitching and hopefully make a lot of progress on WIPs throughout the year.

Today our washing machine gave up the ghost.  I went to get the washing out of the machine and found it all sopping wet having not spun.  I cursed and tried the spin cycle again - nothing!  The drum isn't spinning at all....grrrrr.  Phoned Colin to let him know - "Are you sure it's not working?"  Suffice to say it's a good job he was at work.  After looking at the cost to get someone out, we decided that it had proved to be good value and we would send it to washing machine heaven and get a new one.  Having spent the day researching, examining and removing powder drawers in the shop that I couldn't then get back in (well if I can't get it back in after I've cleaned it, it's no good) we have settled on an Indesit which seems a really good buy.  We will go back and order it tomorrow.

I've noticed a few new followers in the last few days.  Welcome and thank you for visiting!

Well that's it for now.  Happy New Year if I don't make it back here in the next couple of days.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Merry Christmas to everyone!  I hope you all have a great Christmas with everything you need.  Thank you for reading my blog over the last year. If you're not celebrating today, just enjoy the break and spending time with family or friends.

Nearly missed it!

Today is Guy Fawkes night, bonfire night or fireworks night depending on your age!  We have a small box of fireworks in our garden each year.  Nothing too mad.  Watching the sky around us, I hate to think how much some people must spend....perhaps I'm getting old!

I have been busy trying to get my assignment written today as I'm still not happy with it.  I need to get a move on though as it is due in next Friday.  So unfortunately I haven't managed to take any photos to show.  Maybe tomorrow?

I'm eyeing up something...

...what should I do??

I really like Chatelaine designs but I've never stitched one.  There's a new one starting soon - Deep Blue Sea.  Now Colin has said I can if I want to but I can't decide.  I wonder if I would be able to keep up with the parts as they come out or would it end up being an expensive UFO?  Is anybody else signed/signing up for this yet?  Decisions, decisions.

I've been doing a paediatric first aid course today, day one of a two day course.  I wasn't really expecting to have to put it into practice quite so quickly though.  Luke came home from football training tonight with a lovely gash on his knee.  First aid at school looks to have been minimal so I had to clean it up properly and steristrip it together.  Honestly though, the way he is hobbling you would think his leg was in danger of dropping off!

Tomorrow I am planning on getting some pics of my WIP's and updating my page so perhaps there will be something to look at for a change!

Day 3 NaBloPoMo

Well, I've made it to day 3!

I have been trying to write an assignment for the last few days all about Bronfenbrenner and his social ecological model.  Why on earth do I want a degree when I could have been stitching instead of stressing!  I must be completely mad!

At the moment I am working on the second part of the RR from the facebook group.  I am stitching - when I'm not writing assignments - on Sam Snowbody which is a Jeanette Crews design.  He is cute but it's on aida and the are millions, well it feels like millions, of fractional stitches where the aida block obviously needs splitting.

I thought I may have had loads of advice on stitching on linen from last night's post as sometimes I feel like the only person in the world not using it.  I was really surprised not to see a single comment.

Help needed with linen please

I have a problem, well I have many but this is a particular problem.  I only ever stitch with evenweave or occasionally aida.  I never ever ever stitch with linen...I'm to scared.  The problem is you see that once upon a time, long long ago, I started stitching Mirabilia's Cottage Garden Fairy on a piece of linen.  

I can't remember what it was but just about every stitch I put in was 'hiding' under the threads.  I don't know if that's because I stitch 'the wrong way' meaning \\\\\ and then ///// or if I was doing something else wrong but now I am scared to try again.  I have got some gorgeous hand dyed linens that people have given me in exchanges etc that are just sat in the drawer and admired until I realise it is linen.  So the question is what SHOULD I be doing with this linen....yes ok...obviously stitching on it...lol.  Surely someone can help me with my fear!  Is there a particular linen type that would help me overcome this problem?

Just in case it makes a difference - my favourite evenweave is jobelan 28ct.

And here endeth the second day.

NaBloPoMo

Ok Dani has challenged the world - well her blog readers/followers to join her in NaBloPoMo this month.  All you have to do is post to your blog every day.  I accepted the challenge, after all, how hard can it be..hehehe.

Well that's one day done anyway.

Still stitching!

I know I haven't posted for ages but I have still been stitching a bit.

Once the children go back to school in September I have far less time to stitch what with being back at work, running the children to and from activities etc.  This year I am having a lunch break at work which I have always managed to avoid so far.  The downside is that I now work til 4 instead of 3.30 but I can generally have 30 minutes uninterrupted stitching at lunchtime, if I am lucky!

I have signed up for a new module with the Open University which started a couple of weeks ago.  So far I am enjoying it but there is an exam at the end of it so that could change...lol.  It is 'Working with children, young people and families'.  After that there will only be another 2 modules and I will have a degree!  Sadly that is still 2 and a half years away because of start dates for them.  I could do 2 modules at the same time but I don't think I could cope with the work and still have a life!

Amanda is trying to get Tiny Treasures Too up and running again and organised a Christmas ornament exchange for us.  This is the exchange piece I stitched for Miche'le (Hoki Quilts) but she hasn't received it yet.  I'm getting a bit worried as I posted it on 27th September but I suppose it does have a way to go!

Joyeux Noel ornament from here
stitched with recommended threads
exchange piece for Tiny Treasure Too

This is the ornament I received from Melissa which is gorgeous.  The photo really doesn't do it justice.  She said that it was the first time she had made cording and has done a smashing job of it.  I really wouldn't have known.  Thank you Melissa.

Ornament received from Melissa
Tiny Treasures Too Exchange

I originally stitched something completely different for Miche'le.  I saw these charts in a cross stitch magazine and made a back to back ornament for her.  However, when I stitched the two sides together I wasn't happy with my making up so decided not to send it to her.  I didn't want to bin it so made it up into a little Christmas scissor keep for myself instead.  It's not the best thing I have ever made but it will do!

Below is one of the Fat Flakes Snowman - Pam's RR piece.  I have these to stitch in my stash (one day, when I get round to them...hehe) and had forgotten how cute they were.  I really enjoyed stitching him and will be looking forward to seeing the finished RR in a few months time. 

Fat Flakes - Jeanette Crews Designs
Pam's RR
Recommended threads (DMC)

Poll is up

As mentioned in my post last night, the poll is now up for what to do with Plum Pudding.  Hopefully no one will choose the last option but you never know!  Please leave a comment here if you have another idea or a link to how you finished yours if you have stitched this design.  I would love some ideas.  You can choose several different finishes in the poll if you want to.

Thanks for voting!

Good News, great stash and other news!

I'm going to start with our day out yesterday.  We went to a National Trust place called Sudbury Hall and Museum of Childhood which was fab.  We parked up and had our picnic on a grass bank near the car park to save having to carry it round the Hall.  The kids wanted to do the museum first but unfortunately you couldn't use flash photography so there are no photos of it.  The exhibits were brilliant.  There was a room where you could pretend to be a chimney sweep with 2 fireplaces that you crawled up one, along and down the other one.  Rachael has reached that awful preteen age where something like that is 'so not cool' and wouldn't do it.  Luke didn't want to go on his own so didn't try it either.

Then we went to the Victorian Schoolroom for a 'proper' Victorian lesson.  Rachael waited outside as that wasn't cool either!  We had to sit down and clean our slates.  The teacher (Miss Savage) then came and inspected our hands/nails - I got told off for wearing jewellery.  We had to write the date in neat script, then had to do a 'reading' exercise followed 'spelling'.  Colin was picked out as a good speller of today's words and had to go to the front to say them for the rest of the class.  Miss Savage then asked him to do yesterday's spellings which of course he didn't know.  He was then given the dunce's cap and told to stand in the corner.  It was so hilarious....I so wish I had the camera to hand.  Priceless!!!

In another gallery there were 3 bedrooms on the ceiling all done up to look like authentic periods.  I think it was Victorian, 1970's and around 2000.  The room guide asked Rachael if she could come back on Tuesday to help change the sheets.  Bizarrely Rachael later asked me if she was joking.

The back of Sudbury Hall

A VERY, VERY rare photo of me

There was this amazingly huge chair in the grounds.
Just so you can get some idea of the size, I'm 5' 7" (tall not round!)

I ordered some fabric earlier in the week from Pelenna Patchworks ready for finishing a couple of items.  Unsurprisingly, the Christmas pudding one is for the Plum Pudding design that I finished stitching last week. I can't decide how to finish it though.  If you read this far, I have put a poll up for ideas on how to finish it so please help me decide.  The one on the right is for my Tree of Stitches (which you can see an update on further down the page.)

Pelenna Patchwork fabric

A really lovely surprise this week was from Colin.  I told him the log in for my wishlist at Sew and So just to allow him plenty of time to organise himself for Christmas.  He had taken a look and ordered me some things for a treat.  Bless his cotton socks!!

Colin's treat to me!  The fabic is a large piece of white jobelan which
is my favourite fabric and a colour I had run short of.

Each week, WOCS has a Friday freebie on their facebook page - or did until facebook decided that it was no longer allowed. All you had to do was to 'like' the freebie post - so I did - and out of 1430 people, I won!! I got a laplight.  I am so chuffed! (chuffed means pleased if you're not local!)

My prize win.  A laplight!

With everything that has been going on all week with getting ready for me and the children going back to school, stitching has had to take something of a back seat.  There has been a few stitches put in my Tree of Stitches which I really want to get finished now I have the backing fabric for it.  I love this design but I'm having such trouble with the cushion stitch, I don't know why but it is just really hard going.  One of the silks I am using is really springy which is part of the problem I think, but it really shouldn't be the most difficult stitch.....grrrrrrrr.

Tree of Stitches - Abi Gurden
This was a SAL on The Stitch Specialists Yahoo Group

Close up of the stitches.  I have unpicked the cushion stitches at the top as I wasn't
happy with the coverage with one strand.  They are being restitched with 2.

It might be possible to see a little progress on my Cut Thru Garden Shed.  I really love this one and will be sad when I finish it.  Oh well I have several more Cut Thru's in my stash!  Congratulations if you made it all the way to the bottom of the post.

Bothy Threads - Cut Thru Garden Shed

Stitching and pickling

Thankfully my back is much, much better.  It's not quite right yet but I can move reasonably freely.  Standing or walking for very long is still difficult but I'm getting there!

This week I did something I've never done before - pickling!  We harvested some of the beetroot from the allotment.  Colin boiled and peeled them, so I pickled them.  The first ones we had were delicious!

Our first 2 jars of pickled beetroot!

Stitching wise this week - I have completed Libra for the RR but forgot to take a photo before I posted it.  I also did a little bit of stash shopping too - you know the way your finger 'accidentally' presses checkout whilst looking!!  I ordered 2 JBW designs: Plum Pudding and Christmas Bells and some new gold needles.  Once they arrived I couldn't help but have a look to see if I had some fabric for Plum Pudding...and then of course I had to check the threads too.  Well...whilst I'm getting everything together I might as well put a few stitches in as well.  So here is my 'few stitches'.  Oops - well at least it's not going to be another WIP/UFO lol.

JBW Designs - Plum Pudding
Fabric - unknown was just lurking in my stash
Threads - GAST / WDW as charted

I did a little bit on She sells seashells...but not much!

And that's it for stitching this week.  I'm going to pick up Garden Shed in a minute to work on.  My eyes are feeling a little sore so aida will not strain them so much!

Hurricane Irene

Just want everyone in the path of Irene to know that I'm thinking of you and hoping that you all stay safe.  Luckily we don't get things like this in England so I can only imagine what it is like for you but I hope you all come through it safe and sound.  Remember possessions can be replaced but YOU can't so do what you need to.

This week's progress

This week has been a bit on and off for stitching.  I hurt my back earlier in the week - by getting washing out of the machine.  How ridiculous is that?  Honestly, who injures themselves sorting out laundry!  I have tried resting it and gentle exercise and so far neither have made much difference.

Colin took the photos for me this week and you can have a guess as to which one he described as "that's probably the most boring photo I have ever taken in my life".

I have worked on my RR piece this week which is now going to be the remainder of the Zodiac cats RR.  As it is just a blob of white on white, I spared Colin having to take the second most boring photo of his life too!"

I have worked on  started CCN "She sells seashells" but haven't made an awful lot of progress on it so far.  I am stitching it on Kiwi Illusions 'bourbon' which is gorgeous and has a lovely feel to it (I think it is Jazlyn).  It does look slanted on the photo but it's not really.

Possibly the most boring photo Colin ever took!
CCN - She Sells Seashells
Fabric - Kiwi Illusions Bourbon
Threads - CC called for

There has been some progress made on the Wedding Sampler this week but not a lot!  This design is really growing on me the more I stitch it.  It's still not something I would want for myself but I am enjoying it a lot more than I was.  Interestingly it made me realise the other day that I never stitched anything for our wedding day or for either of the children being born!

Helen and Kev's wedding sampler
Janlynn - Married this Day

Whilst blog hopping recently, I have seen loads of lovely "Tree of Stitches".  I am in love.  Thankfully Abi Gurden who runs/moderates/designs The Stitch Specialists yahoo group let me in!  I have made a start on my Tree of Stitches and so far I'm loving it.  I chose to go for a dramatic, contrasting look and am using a piece of  Sparklies fabric in 'fire' with The Thread Gatherer silk.  I am using another silk but the name escapes me at the moment.

Tree of Stitches - Abi Gurden - The Stitch Specialists on Yahoo
Fabric - Sparklies Fire 28ct lugana
Trunk - GAST Blackcurrant
Leaves - The Thread Gatherer Blue Violet and HDF unknown

Small change to Rachael's westie

All week I have been looking at Rachael's westie with a sort of a hmmmmmm........not quite happy sort of a look.  I decided that I didn't like the puffiness of the cube or the way the fabric round the sides didn't look tight enough and the bow didn't look quite big enough either.  So I took it all apart and made another cube.  For the cube I used a piece of the insulating foam that came in Rachael's CGMS sensor box which is really dense although quite easy to cut.

2nd attempt at making a bow.  It's a bit bigger this time which Rachael said she wanted

Colin has said that he will take photos of me making a bow to show how I did it - so what this space for a "tutorial" if you're interested.  I have to warn you though I am left handed which will probably make a difference!

I will post some pictures of my week's progress later - the camera battery died after this photo so it's on charge at the moment.

A new finish

This must be a record - 3 posts in one day!

This afternoon Rachael was having a root through my WIP/UFO box which I'd left out and discovered the Westie I had made a start on for her.  She was so thrilled with the progress so far that she gave me a big hug, big kiss and told me I was the best mum EVER! Well who could resist carrying on with something after that.  I knew that it wouldn't really take long to complete the stitching, it was only a diddy chart after all.  The funniest bit was the countdown from 36 stitches 27 to go, 24, 17 etc.

Cross Stitch Crazy magazine
Westie

Once it was finished she had a root through my fabric and ribbon boxes having decided she wanted it finished the same way as 'love you to the moon'.  The cube was one I had bought at some time and I didn't find it as easy to work with as the one I made.  It seemed much softer.

Rachael chose all the colours for this.
Incidentally the cushion behind is one Rachael made at
school last year.  Her first ever attempt!

I have never made a ribbon like this and although it isn't perfect, I am really pleased with how it turned out.  Rachael is ever so chuffed with it so I am glad I caved in to her and finished it.  Of course now I need to do something small for Luke so if you know where there are any free charts of Man Utd players or at least in red, let me know!

Progress this week

I have been concentrating on the wedding sampler for most of the week although saying that I haven't managed to get a lot of stitching done.  This is my progress so far.  There are constant colour changes in this - 3 or 4 stitches and I'm snipping the threads again.  It does seem to be stitching up quite quickly though once I get in the flow of it.

I mentioned previously that I was going to participate in a RR again for the first time in ages.  As there was only going to be 3 of us in the group, I chose a trio of sunset designs from World of Cross Stitch  magazine which are gorgeous!  We have now had another lady join us to make a 4 so it is back to the drawing board - what a hardship to have to go stash fondling!  This is how far I had got with stitching my part of the designs.  The colours are so vibrant and are a real joy to stitch.  I must make sure this doesn't become a UFO.

Last night I fancied a complete change from the wedding sampler and decided to root through the WIP/UFO box. Roots to grow, wings to fly caught my eye so I managed to put a couple of lengths of thread in that before needing an early night.  I can't for the life of me remember what the fabric is but it is absolutely gorgeous to hold as you're stitching.  Might be a Silkweaver possibly but no idea which one.

Scissor Update

'Spoke' to Jo and abcstitch.com have got them.  Woohoo!  Thanks for the advice!  I'm a happy bunny.

Dinky Dyes Patriotic Scissors - UK

Arrrrggggghhhhh!  I have been trying to find somewhere that is going to order/stock the Dinky Dyes scissors with the Union Jack design over them.  I can't find anyone!  Does anyone know where I can get them from?  I don't mind whether it is UK or US.  Please help!!!  Thanks!

WIP update

I have been working on the wedding sampler all week - on and off, in the hope that it may be finished soon.  It is driving me mad though with all the colour changes every few stitches.  The design isn't really my cup of tea (it was chosen bySIL and hubby) which I don't think is helping matters.  Still it's getting there slowly! If you compare it to the Wip's page it is possible to see progress.

Helen and Kev's Wedding Sampler

I have recently joined a RR group on facebook and will be starting that in September.  It is ages since I have been involved in a RR so I am really looking forward to it.  I haven't decided on a theme yet though so need to get my thinking cap on!

Lyme Park and a finish!

Back in March/April we joined the National Trust for the year but so far we haven't been anywhere!  All that changed at the weekend when we took a ride out to Lyme Park which was only 30 minutes in the car.  It was a pretty hot day so we had a gentle stroll up to The Cage which is an old hunting lodge.  It was all boarded over so there wasn't much to see but the views were amazing!

On the walk up (and back) we could hear grasshoppers and Luke was desperate to find one.  We kept telling him how hard they can be to catch but he wasn't for giving up.  I was watching the path as I was walking as it was a little rough when suddenly one jumped across right in front of me!!

Rear of the Meadow Grasshopper

Front view of the Meadow Grasshopper

Meadow Grasshopper - side on

With Colin being the least squeamish of us all, (I don't mind looking but I'm not holding) he managed to catch hold of it.

The estate was used for Pride and Prejudice where Darcy meets Elizabeth.

On to cross stitch news.  As you may have noticed if you've visited in the last week or so, I have been tweaking my blog.  One thing I have added is a WIP/UFO page.  It was quite an interesting couple of hours sorting through my projects that have been started and taking photos of them all.  Hopefully I have managed to find them all from their hiding places!  Taking the time to do this has actually led to two small finishes.  One has been 'filed' for finishing up later but the other I got the urge to finish up today.  

Waxing Moon's "I love you to the moon and back" has been a WIP/UFO for...... errrrrrmmm.....well let's just say a long time and leave it at that.  As far as I could remember there wasn't a particular reason other than time/life putting a halt to it.....or so I thought!

Actually, once I picked it back up again I remembered that I hated the fabric it was on, hated trying to stitch neatly with 3 strands of thread and wasn't enamoured with the 'unbalanced' feel to the outer design.  I decided to persevere with the first 2 and ploughed on with it.  However, I really couldn't get over the swirls and stars not being symmetrical.  So I changed it!  Down the sides where the pink stars are should be a star at the top and a swirly bit underneath.  I recharted this to make it 2 stars instead.  I also changed over the colours.  The stars in the corners should have been stitched with the yellow but I thought they would match the moon much better if they were nearer that colour.  I was really pleased with how it turned out.

As for finishing it, I decided that I would like to do my first ever cube finish.  So armed with Hannah's finishing tutorial I got cracking!  I have to say I am really thrilled with how it turned out.

front view

I love this little moon button

Side fabric and ribbon

backing fabric

The other finish I had was a santa design that I was going to do for my first ever ornie.  Not sure how many I have made in the meantime but it finally got finished!

Should have been my first ever ornie...but wasn't to be!

That's all for now!  Congratulations if you have managed to read all the way to the bottom!

Progress on Cut Thru Garden Shed

I have been working intermittently on my Garden Shed.  Yesterday I decided to make a start on the back stitch as I hate back stitch and thought it might become a UFO once the cross stitch was complete.  Once I started the back stitch I found I couldn't put it down.  I was amazing how the design sprang to life as each little bit was outlined.  So far I have completed 2 pages of back stitch and once I have done the last page on the left I will finish stitching the middle bottom section and back stitch the middle column too.  As a leftie this means I won't have to hold what I have already completed then.

So without further ado, here's my progress...

Rachael finished school on Friday and was voted pupil of the year in her form which was a lovely way for her to end the year.

Not quite a year....but close!

Hi everyone/anyone

I was abducted by aliens and have only just managed to get back to planet Earth...er no...that's not it.  Ermmm no, I'm afraid I don't have a good excuse really. I just was too busy to stitch and because I wasn't stitching, I didn't blog either.  Quite a lot has happened over the last year.

I have completed E111 with the Open University and am just waiting for the results of my final assignment.  After that I will be having a break from studying - basically because I can't afford another £770 for the next module at this moment in time.  I'm loving my job and will be doing only special needs in September.  I won't be helping in class unless the Year 6 teacher needs me particularly.  The only downside is that I have lost 'my' room and will be working in whatever space I can find around school.

Like many people Colin (DH) is up for redundancy or redeployment at the moment.  Neither of these are a good prospect as his job would relocate to Preston instead of central Manchester.  He has to make a decision by Monday as to what he wants to do. Apart from that, he's fine.

Rachael has completed her first year at High School.  She has thoroughly enjoyed Year 7 and has made fantastic progress. She had an awards ceremony last Monday and got the RE attitude to learning award as well as a trophy for 100% attendance.  Out of approximately 500 pupils there were only 10 that got their 100% award.  The teachers and staff at school have been amazing with her diabetes and have really kept an eye on her to ensure everything is ok whilst giving her independence.  If there is anything out of the ordinary, they always ring unlike Primary school who expected her to get on with it and didn't support her in any way, shape or form.

Luke has had a great year at school too with a real turn around in his attitude and progress. He has had an amazing teacher who has only just qualified but is dedicated to making a difference.  His school report was straight A's and behaviour rated as excellent (highest possible).  This was something I never thought I would see on Luke's report!  He has been involved with loads of sports this year and made the swim team at school.  His football team have done well and made the cup final - they lost.  Luke has been an ever present on the A team this year though and won Most Improved Player of the Year award.

A couple of weeks ago, I was sorting my stash and being brutally honest with whether I would ever stitch things although probably still not as honest as I could have been!  I found a couple of charts that I had forgotten I had and decided to see if I could pull the threads for them.  I stitched up "Stressed..." in a couple of nights and then got the other one out and did that.  On Monday I decided I wanted to stitch a little something for Luke's teacher to say thanks.  As they broke up Wednesday I had to hurry but managed it.  Luke said she was delighted with it.

I really won't be leaving it so long to blog next time!  Thanks for still reading if you have!