Daisy

Daisy
July 2004 - May 2012

I write this post with a very heavy heart.  This is a post that I didn't think I would be writing for a few more years yet, but as often happens Life deals us a dud hand sometimes, and this weekend Life has dealt us an extremely bad hand.

In the early hours of yesterday morning (Saturday 26 May 2012) we sat with our Daisy dog as she went to sleep for the last time.

For some unknown reason Daisy developed bloat during the early of hours of Saturday morning and even though we rushed her to the emergency veterinary hospital, time was running out and we had to make the hard decision which ultimately ended her time with us.

I keep asking myself - what did we do wrong?  Why did this have to happen?  I know there is no answer to those questions but it doesn't stop me asking them??

Daisy was with us from September 2004 when we got her as a puppy at 10 weeks old.  At the time she was a funny little black ball of fluff, but she soon grew, her ears straightened, her coat changed colour and she turned into this beautiful black and tan long haired German Shepherd and became our most treasured companion.  Daisy has been a big part of our life together. We have been together for nearly 10 years and Daisy has been with us for 8 of those years.

I have been thinking of what to write in this post all day... but I find when it comes time to put pen to paper (so to speak) I don't know what to say.  How do I describe the wonder of this gorgeous dog to you all?  She was loving, playful, cheeky, smart, a pain in the butt when she barked for no reason at all, and more!  She was always there when we came home, always happy to see us, bouncing around in circles, wagging her tail - so excited that we were home.  Coming home will not be the same now - the boys will still be there purring and happy to see us, but our bouncing puppy will not be waiting at the gate or the front door!

We have some lovely memories of Daisy.  Going through the photos on the laptop earlier bought back so many special memories as well as more tears.  Walking around the house over the last 2 days has bought many tears - seeing her beds and the places she used to sit, hearing other dogs bark in the neighbourhood and waiting for her to bark back, walking outside the front door and seeing the tree that she always had to go and sniff every time she went out the front; even having breakfast and leaving the toast crusts for her.... little things that are so Daisy.

Mark used to laugh at me with all the names that I used to call her - Dinky, Mouse, Daisy Dog, Princess Daisy.... Don't ask me why, I just did!!  She wagged her tail and answered each and every time!!

Daisy and Hubby - 2005

She was frightened of thunderstorms & would often end up on our bed in the middle of the night if there was a bad storm raging outside.  She would sit out in the rain and get absolutely soaked and she loved playing with sprinklers, but she didn't like getting a bath!!  And boy, she did so dislike getting her tail and back legs brushed!!  She could handle being brushed for a short time, but after awhile enough was enough and it was time to go and play again!!

Daisy & Adam (my nephew) - 2006
Boy, dog and sprinklers

Daisy & Adam - 2006
Boy, dog and sprinklers

Not having Daisy in our lives has left a huge hole - a hole that seems to be insurmountable at this time, but I know that the hole will eventually heal and cover over but at the moment that time and place seems a very long way away.

We will be getting her cremated and she will come home to us again and will sit on the sideboard with the ashes of Winston and Sasha.  So every morning I will still be able to say good morning to her and pretend that she can hear me.....

Daisy - January 2012

We miss you Daisy, and will do for a very long time to come.  Thank you for all the love and laughter you have given us over the years.  You were taken from us way too soon.

Today's post was going to originally be a post about the Craft Show and to wish my wonderful husband a Happy Birthday.... but unfortunately the events of yesterday morning changed my plans.  We did go to the Craft Show yesterday to try and take our minds off our sadness and emptiness, but I will leave that for another post.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart.  I wish that today's birthday had been a happier one for you with all the joys that a birthday should bring....

So how to end this sad post... I really don't know how to end my post except to say Goodbye Daisy - we love you and miss you.  Sweet Dreams my dear sweet Dinky Dog, one day we will meet you again on the Rainbow Bridge.

IHSW May 2012 Update

Hello!  Here we are again for the IHSW update.  Isn't it great that TUSAL and IHSW both ended up on the same weekend again :o)  Unfortunately though I don't really have much to tell you.....

This weekend was busy but not for stitching!  We were out on Saturday wandering around the garden centre and spending money on lovely new plants for the garden.  We also had lunch at the garden centre with my brother and his very new wife!  Such a nice way to spend a Saturday. Sunday afternoon was spent out in the garden planting all the lovely new plants after all the chores were done of course!!

On Friday I spent the afternoon making up the kitty card that I showed you in my last post.  But I did manage to get some stitching done here and there over the weekend and guess what - I finished the Tiny Rose Garden Mandala!  Well actually I finished the last bit of beading last night.  But near enough is close enough!

Tiny Rose Garden Mandala completed 21 May 2012
Chatelaine Designs - Martina Rosenberg

So that's it for my stitching update this IHSW!  Told you there wasn't much to say.....

If you want to see what everyone else has done over the weekend, drop in on Joyce's post for this month's IHSW and click on the list of links!  There is lots of visiting to be had!!

Now while I might not have too much stitching to show you this month, I do have something else to show you.

My very lovely friend from France, Valerie from Fele le point, went to Paris a couple of weeks ago and while there she purchased a Paris snow globe and sent it all the way over here so that I could add it my very small collection.  I have been a bit slow adding a pic to my blog so you can all see my lovely new snow globe!

Paris snow globe from Valerie

But the surprises don't stop there.  Last week Valerie sent me a lovely surprise to make up for me not getting a package in the Spring Exchange.  For some reason my partner in the MS Lovers Blog Spring Exchange has been out of contact so we are not sure what has happened and why she hasn't sent anything but never mind!  The lovely Valerie wanted to put a smile on my face, and she certainly did that...  Look what she made me!

Gift from Valerie - Spring Exchange replacement

I had seen the pin cushion on Valerie's blog when she made one for a friend and I absolutely loved the fabric - so Valerie made me one too, as well as stitching the cute fishing cat and turning that into a little bag.  I am going to use both in my stitching basket so that they can bring a smile to my face each time I see them!

It is very disappointing when an exchange doesn't quite go to plan, but the ladies on the MS Lovers Blog are so lovely.  A number of them offered to send me something to replace my missing package!  Aren't stitchers and bloggers just the most generous people around?

Thank you Valerie for your lovely gifts - they are wonderful and I really appreciate you taking the time to stitch them and sending them to me.

Ok dear readers, I think that is about for tonight!  It is getting way past my bedtime and the carriages are about to turn back into pumpkins!  Daisy and the boys are already in bed so looks like Mum and Dad had better follow them!!

Til next time, happy stitching.

Totally Useless SAL - New Moon 20 May 2012 Update

Goodness me.... It's time for another ORT Report!

This month I have mainly been stitching on my Rose Garden Mandala, but I did take time out to stitch a little birthday card for the Craft Bubble "Crazy for Kitties" Birthday Exchange.

Teacup Kitty - designer Margaret Sherry
Cross Stitch Card Shop issue 82
Stitched for Craft Bubble Crazy for Kitties Birthday Exchange

This cute little kitty was a freebie in the Cross Stitch Card Shop magazine, issue 82.  I used papers from various paper crafting magazines for the background and stitching frame.  The birthday greetings also came from a magazine.  The flowers and little butterflies were in my stash as was the gold ribbon that I tied into the bow.  The little bit of bling came from, of all places, the table decorations from my brother's wedding!  (Yes, I keep all sorts of strange things!!)  I made the 2 pins with beads from my stash.  I have also added a little chinese gold coin for good luck.  This little cutie kitty will be in the mail to the UK tomorrow morning along with a couple of little kitty gifts.

Also this month I finished my Autumn Kitty (MS Lover's Blog SAL #3) into a little pillow.  I found the fabric for this a few weeks ago when we went to Handcrafters House.  Once I started to stitch the pillow I realised just how perfect the fabric was!  The pillow ended up being bigger than I had originally planned it to be....when I stitched the large piece of fabric to the kitty for the back of the cushion, I looked at it and thought it actually looked nicer with the fabric on both sides of the kitty.... and so I continued along a different line!  Here is Autumn Kitty in all his glory!

Autumn Kitty - MS Lovers Blog Cool Cats SAL

I haven't as yet started my next Cool Cat for this SAL nor my piece for the MS Lover's Blog Summer Exchange, but they will be started in the next week.  I still have to "finish" off my Culinary Cats from the first MS Lover's Blog SAL.  All the cats are stitched and I have now finally decided how to finish them off.  That may take a few weeks before I have another update on the finish.

Now for the all important TUSAL photo for the month of May!

ORT's, Dragon and Tea Cup from Australia's Biggest Morning Tea

This month's photo shows the ORT's and the Dragon with a lovely tea cup from Australia's Biggest Morning Tea.  This event happens here in Australia in May as a fund raising event for the Cancer Council.  At my workplace we are doing our morning tea on Tuesday and Hubby's workplace is doing their morning tea on Thursday.  A bit of sweet pig out week ahead!!  My favourite kind!!

Now this weekend has been the weekend of IHSW... but unfortunately I haven't really stitched very much at all - but that is for another post tomorrow or Tuesday.  When I do the IHSW update hopefully I will have a picture of my finished Rose Garden Mandala.  I am in the final run up to finishing this - stitching the beads.  Almost done!!

You may have noticed that my pictures have all been prettied up!  I read somewhere on my blog stalking travels (sorry can't remember which blog) about a website called Picmonkey that you can pretty up your pictures... so I had a little play today and the pictures on this post are the result.  If you want to have a look and play with your pictures I recommend it.  It is a free website - for now at least!!  So make the most of it :o)

Well dear readers, that's it for another ORT report.  See you all again same time next month.... Pop on over to Daffycat's blog if you are interested in signing up or keeping in touch with what is going on with the 2012 TUSAL.

Til the next new moon on 19 June 2012, happy stitching and may your collection of ORT's keep growing!

New Moons - 2012

19 June

19 July

17 August

16 September

15 October

13 November

13 December

Rose Garden Mandala Update

Hello again!

Now this really is a fly-by post..... I am being a wee bit naughty and taking 10 mins out at work while I scoff a sandwich and a cup of soup to put up a pic of where my Rose Garden is at as of 9.30pm last night (Sunday)

I am so pleased with this mandala.  I seriously can not believe how quick and easy it has been to stitch so far.  And, I am loving the colours!!

Tiny Rose Garden - Freebie
Chatelaine Designs - Martina Rosenberg
as at 9pm Sunday 29th April 2012

The picture is probably not the best - it was a quick iPhone pic as I was packing up for the night but I just wanted to show you how much I have done this last week.....

That is it for this very quick fly-by post.... see you all again soon when I will hopefully have a finished Rose Garden to show you!

Til next time, happy stitching.

IHSW April 2012 Update

Hello again!  Amazingly I actually have something to show for my IHSW update this month!

As I mentioned in my last post I started a new project on Friday.  This is a bit of break with what I have recently been stitching.  For the last year or so I have stitched cards and quilt squares with the odd pillow thrown in the mix, but generally all the designs have been cute, cats, or cute cats, or kids designs...

Now for something a bit different to the norm - dare I say a bit more grown up!!

Since I have started blog stalking I have been drooling over all of the beautiful designs that other very talented people stitch, especially those that stitch the Chatelaines.  These designs seem to sing to me when I see them and I have so often thought "one day".  I even went so far as to buy 2 mini's last year at the Craft Show, but still haven't got the courage up to start one....  What if I stuff it up - another UFO I do not want - that drawer is almost bursting as it is!

Well, that was up until last week!

Last Tuesday I was blog stalking and eventually wandered over to Martina Rosenberg's Chateleaine website - as you do - to see what was there.  You see I had remembered that she has small sized freebies on her website so went sticky beaking...  I have looked at these before but this time I thought - "what I am waiting for.... just pick one and do it!"  So I picked one, printed it off and immediately placed a web order with Colours Down Under for the speciality thread and beads that I knew I didn't have, and the rest they say is history!  The speciality thread and beads (along with other things I just had to buy - $1 charts!!!) arrived in the mail on Friday morning (fantastic service from Jo at Colours Down Under), I then went through my DMC threads and raided the fabric stash to see what evenweave fabric was lurking in there.... normally evenweave doesn't get much of a chance to come out and see the light with me, but I think it was very happy to come out and play as so far it is behaving very nicely!  I have no idea what it is except that it is 28 count... but it is cream and that was good enough for me!

Friday afternoon was spent kitting this little lovely up and luckily I was only missing 4 threads which I was able to pick up from Handcrafters House on Friday night.  Isn't it always the way - it doesn't matter how many threads you have there is almost always one that you have to buy for the next project!

The first couple of tentative stitches were done before I rushed out to meet Hubby for the Colour Workshop in Midland, and then it was full steam ahead on Saturday and Sunday afternoons - or when Oscar kitty let me stitch that is!

And this is the result - my first attempt at a Chatelaine!

Tiny Rose Garden - Freebie
Chatelaine Designs - Martina Rosenberg

This is an idea of what it should look like when finished...
Small but perfectly pretty in every way!

I know it's only little but I feel so grown up!  I think that this little design is a good stepping stone for me to come out of my comfort zone and try something different.  The speciality stitch in this design I can do and there is only a small amount of beading.  So if I can keep the momentum up and finish this I believe I will have gained the confidence to try one of the designs that I bought last year!

Don't worry I will still be doing all my other stitching.... after all I have cards to stitch for the Craftbubble Crazy for Kitties birthday exchange due in May and June; I have my next Cool Cats (Winter) to stitch and I have also signed up for the Summer Exchange for the MS Lovers Blog; and I have just signed up for the Christmas Card exchange on the Margaret Sherry Yahoo group.... so lots of stitching on the horizon - just as well because as we all know "Winter is Coming".

Sorry, this has turned out too be a bit long winded.... but that is my update for the April IHSW.  Yeah, a successful weekend of stitching.  If you want to see what everyone else has done over the weekend, drop in on Joyce's post on this month's IHSW and click on the list of links!  There is lots of visiting to be had!!

Til next time, happy stitching.