H..h...h...happy dance

Did you count the h's in the title?
Well, you should have done, because that is how many finishes I have had recently.

In no particular order, we have:

Merry Christmas to You by My Big Toe Designs from Just Cross Stitch ornie issue 2016.

And then, Prairie Schooler's Santa Waving Good Night from the same issue.

Next, Lizzie Kate's Flip-Its from 2001 - January

Finally, David Tennant which was from an Etsy seller ( I can't remember who!)

David Tennant was for Rachael's birthday - her 18th birthday!  How on earth did that happen?  How can I be the mother of an adult. Don't worry, we have already had the 'you may be an adult but it's my house, my rules' chat!  

I did underestimate the time it would take me to stitch it and ended up stitching on it until 3.30 am on her birthday.  Thankfully, Rachael slept in until 9.30 so I did get enough sleep for her big day!!! She had a wonderful time and the restaurant we went to, gave her a really good night with complementary drinks and a special dessert.

Santa Sleighs, iStitch Advent SAL, Christmas

***** Merry Christmas *****

Back in 2008, I made Santa Sleigh's with Rachael and Luke.  We have always had fond memories of them and every year since, we have said we should make them again.  So this year we did!  Here is a link to the original versions...Santa Sleigh's...and below are what we created today.  Hopefully you can see some improvement in technique :)  First time round, Rachael would have been 9 and Luke 7.

Rachael's

  Luke's  

Rachael's

Rachael's

Luke's    

Luke's   

Rachael's

Luke's    

A photo taken from a strange angle which makes the kids look about 7ft tall!  Our tree is actually 8ft high with a 12" angel on top!  (The first ever (we think) of one of the cats being in the kids, tree and presents photo.)

Rachael cuddling David...bless.  One of her presents actually reduced her to happy tears.  One of the lads from school, no they're not going out, they're 'just friends', bought her a mug with one of the selfie's of Rachael when she met David Tennant.  Bless...

Luke opening one of his Xbox games, not one I would have chosen!  Sadly, it was an 18 so he will have very limited time on it daily.

This is the tree this year.  You can't actually see many of my cross stitch ornies or the ones that have been gifted to me.  I sit at the far end of the sofa you can see in the photo and tend to hang them to the side so that I can view them when I'm sat on the sofa.

And finally, I have been stitching the iStitch Advent SAL this year and finished it ON TIME!  Can you believe that?  I was about 6 days behind until Sunday but caught up and was ready and waiting for the final part to be released on Christmas Eve.  Now how to finish it???

London, Richard II and David Tennant

We had a fab time in London.  On Thursday we did the bus tour round all the sights which helped us to get our bearings bit and had a Subway for tea before getting ready to go and see David Tennant in Richard II.  No photography was allowed, but they didn't tell me that until after I had taken this...

This is how the stage was as you came into the theatre.  The background is made of thin chain, a bit like your kitchen sink plug is attached with usually and they project the image of the scenery onto that.  It sounds a bit weird explained like that but the effect is stunning.

You need to get to the stage door a lot earlier than the end of the play if you want to see David come out. Sadly we were too far away to get him to sign anything although Rachael did get a 5 minute video of him signing things, having photos with people and generally being a pretty decent bloke at being mobbed by screaming women!

So on Friday I caved and agreed to take Rachael on the London Eye.  Oh my word...it's high!  I don't like heights, I REALLY don't like heights.  Here is the photographic evidence of how high it is

On the Friday, we went to the Science museum.  This microscope was fantastic!  It was made out of solid silver by George Adams, commissioned by William III as a gift for William IV.  Why does no-one ever get me a gift like that?

There was also the Apollo 10 capsule - the original apparently!

Rachael absolutely refuses to believe that this one is a real car.  You can see her point really and as for moving a lever to turn left or right? No thank you, I will stick with a wheel!

The weather turned cold, windy and rainy on Saturday.  We were determined to make the most of our last morning though.  We got the tube to Mansion House (what a brilliant name for a station - ideas of grandeur that it really didn't live up to!).  We saw the monument to the firefighters who protected St Paul's Cathederal during the Second World War by sleeping in it to make sure it couldn't be destroyed.

This is me playing with the panoramic setting on my phone.  The tall pointy building in the middle is The Shard which you seem to be able to see from anywhere in London!

This was taken on the Millenium Bridge looking back at St Paul's Cathedral.

Finally this is what the view was like from the hotel window.  The building opposite was Armory House.

Oh yes...I forgot to mention what we did on Friday night.  See if you can guess...

We walked down to The Barbican again, getting there for about 8.55pm...and guess what?  The show didn't finish until 10.25pm...and we weren't the first there!

Look who came out...

...getting closer...

...OMG he's touched my shoulder (said Rachael!)

...and now he leaves us.

As a non-fan of David, I have to admit that he was amazing.  He took time to speak to people, albeit briefly. He signed Rachael's programme for her and had a photo with her.  Initially, Rachael had a mousemat with a photo of David on but he is only allowed to sign show things.  David waited around for her to get her programme out though which I thought was great of him.  When he was signing her programme he said that it was great to meet her (which he probably says to half a dozen people a night) but it absolutely made her day as she didn't hear him say it to anyone else!  He has definitely gone up in my estimation!! Rachael was so thrilled she started crying as we came away - bless her.

Richard II

I have just got back from the cinema after an evening with Rachael.  We watched a live stream of Richard II being performed by RSC with David Tennant in the lead role.  It was absolutely fantastic and I never thought I would enjoy Shakespeare that much.  We were totally hooked from about 2 minutes in, right until the end! We have tickets to see the play live at The Barbican in London in January and I really, truly can't wait!