From South Africa to Australia

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give

~ George MacDonald ~

Sometime ago I signed up to an exchange the Heather from Heather's Stitching Story was running.  Now I must hang my head in shame at this point because I was almost a month late sending to my partner.... and looking at the tracking website she still doesn't appear to have received the package a month after I posted - the package seems to have arrived in the USA and stopped dead.... fingers crossed it isn't held up too much longer with Customs and the postal service and it is delivered to CJ very soon.....

But I digress - again!

My post today is to show you what I received from my partner in the exchange - Theoria from "My Little Corner of Cyberspace".

Theoria hails from South Africa and she sent me these gorgeous hand-stitched gifts, as well as some chocolates (Lindt... my favourite - they lasted long enough to take the photo!!), some needles, scissors, bookmark, buttons and charms (cute), a notebook and some lovely trim which wrapped the whole package up, and the cutest doggie cross stitch kit!

Thank you Theoria, I just love everything you sent.  The photo doesn't show how pretty the stitched items are - they are just lovely!

I will be back again soon to show you what I sent to CJ and also update you on some other stitching that I am currently doing now that my stitching bug is finally coming home to settle again!!

Til next time, happy stitching!
Hugs, Stitching Noni xx

Normal Service will be resumed..... what is normal service?

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, 

all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read 

and all the friends I want to see

~ John Burroughs ~

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

Of course that is assuming that anything I do can be considered as normal!!!

As you may have noticed, I haven't been around much lately..... but things are starting to look better and there is a light at the end of the tunnel in regards to my working days which, fingers crossed, will mean I can start doing "normal" things again!  I have so missed my regular stitching and blogging over the last 4 months - I even turned down a promotion at work just so I can get back to my normal state of mind instead of being in a permanent state of confusion and exhaustion!

I have been slowing getting back into doing a little bit of stitching over the last couple of weeks so I can even show you some stitching progress and finishes in my next post.  I have even managed to stitch on "Jingles" which will make Annette and Rita smile!  I am probably way behind the girls but there is still a few months of the year left for me to catch up!

My Halloween Ornie SAL progress is dismal to say the least...... My last update was for April, which means I completely missed May, June and July.  But I can report that I have started a new Halloween stitch for August which if I am creative with will cover me for a couple of months of themes, but it won't quite catch me up on this SAL!  Oh well.... as the quote above says each day is just too short!!!

Now seeing as how this is supposed to be a short and sweet "please don't forget me" style post... I had better sign off and get back to work!!

Til next time when I will have some stitching pics for you to drool over... happy stitching!

Happy Stitching..... and may the frog pass you by!
Stitching Noni xx

Catch up time!

Pleasure is spread through the earth

In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.

~ William Wordsworth, 1806 ~

I just realised that I have been very remiss in not showing you a couple of snaps....

1. Remember The Snowflower Diaries "Spring Witch" that I stitched for the March theme of the Hallo'ween SAL Blog?  I haven't showed you what I did with this little cutie.  So here she is all finished:

The Snowflower Diaries - Spring Witch
finished as a gift for Valérie 

When I was stitching my little Spring Witch I had a plan in mind as to what to do with her right from the start. Except as per usual, my timing was rubbish and I was very late in finishing and sending it off.

The original plan was to send her to Valérie (fée le point) for her birthday in March.  But time just ran away with me and it was April and well past Valérie's birthday before I got myself organised and sent off the little witch on her adventure to France.

2. The second thing that I have been very remiss in telling you about is a lovely gift from Kaye (Kitten Stitching) that I received a few weeks ago.

Giveaway Gift from Kaye

The package included 2 lovely pieces of fabric (a pretty yellow one and gorgeous floral one); a nail file that looks like a ruler (dual purpose!); a lovely charm and the most wonderful embroidery book.  A really lovely surprise from Kaye - can't wait to find just the right thing to use the fabric for and the book is a lovely addition to my craft bookcase :o)  Thank you Kaye, and I am so sorry that I have been so slack in showing off your lovely gift.

Well that's it for this post - I think I am now up to date with all my news.... So til the next time when I will hopefully have some stitching to show, take care and happy stitching!

Hugs xx
Stitching Noni

Lizzie Kate "Jingles" SAL May Update

Really I don't dislike to cook, but what you cook is eaten so quickly.  

When you sew, you have something that will last to show for your efforts

~ Elizabeth Travis Johnson ~

Lizzie Kate "Jingles Flip-It"

Lizzie Kate "Jingles" SAL update - stitching with Rita, Annette and Nia

If you read my last post yesterday you would be almost right in thinking that I haven't gotten very far with "Jingles" since that last update... so shall we see just how far I am with this fun design?

So this was where I was up to last time I showed you Jingles on 4th May 2014.....

Lizzie Kate - "Jingles" as at 3/5/2014

and this is where I am at as of today (well 2 June 2014 actually):

Lizzie Kate - "Jingles" as at 2/6/2014

So what do think?  Pretty good progress for the month or what??  I am pretty pleased at where I am after only stitching on this for a couple of months.

I was hoping that by taking the photo outside in the sun that you would see the pretty sparkle in the fabric but it doesn't quite show up... but believe me it is there!

"Jingles" is now put away as I need to get my big fat stitching backside moving on an exchange piece that I am supposed to send off by the end of June.  Of course that means I have to stay away from my iPad and "Farmville 2"!!

Til next time, happy stitching and jingling!!

Stitching Noni xx

Old Mac Noni had a farm......

Video games ruined my life. (Good thing I have two more.)

~ Author Unknown ~

Yep, that's my new song - Old Mac Noni..... I am now a farmer!  Well sort of....

My "Farmville 2" Farm

No, as you can see I am not a real farmer.... I'm just a virtual farmer!  A virtual farm is probably the only farm that I could safely run! If it was a real farm everything would be dead after a week!!!  "Farmville 2" would have to be the most addictive game I have come across in some time!  It is always a case of one minute more or ten minutes more while my sheep is growing wool or while my jacket is crafting.....  Ten minutes becomes an hour almost before you know it!

So yes, while Hubby and I have been quietly achieving with our farms over the last couple of weeks not much else has been done.  No blog posting or blog reading, no stitching and virtually no Facebook news....  I blame the weather! It has been quite cold and overcast lately as winter rolls in and that type of weather just makes me want to curl up on the couch in front of the fire and vegetate!  The photos below were taken from our front yard last Monday morning around 8am. The misty, foggy cloud lasted for about another hour or so after I took the photo before the sun finally managed to break through.

View down the street on Monday 2 June 2014

View down the street the other way on Monday 2 June 2014

I must admit that my inactivity is not just all about the weather.  Since Easter I have been back to working 5 days a week and I am finding it a bit challenging some weeks!  Fingers crossed it is only a short term thing as I do miss my Fridays off... that was the day when I would get most of my stitching done!  We are currently in middle of some re-organisation at work and my boss is currently Acting Managing Director... which means I am supporting him in his new role as well as continuing to do my original role. Hence, the five days a week and the brain fade every night..... which is where Farmville 2 comes in.... it is about the only level of activity that my poor old body and brain can handle!!!  But I am not complaining really.... I am very blessed that I have a job and the extra $$'s from the extended working hours never go astray!  Hence the stash building I have started doing by adding to my collection of Nora Corbett Mira charts!! :o)

Now onto some stitching updates......

My TUSAL photo for May was taken outside last Sunday a couple of hours after the fog lifted when we finally had some absolutely glorious warm sun!  I always feel energised by the sun during winter... I think I must be solar powered as when there is no sun my batteries really run down - summer is definitely my best season!

TUSAL May 2014

My stitching since the last TUSAL report has been all about Lizzie Kate's "Jingles".... up until 2 weeks ago when I found Farmville 2 any way.  So the new ORT's in jar are all whites and reds with a little bit of blue tossed in for good measure!

Now for those of you, like the lovely Rita, who are waiting for a "Jingles" update - sorry but I am going to make you wait til tomorrow :o) - after all my pig has just finished rolling around in the mud and I need the clay to make an ale mug and sell it to the Trader before time runs out!

So, that's it for another monthly ORT report.  Don't forget if you would like to sign up and join in the fun for the last half of this year, then pop on over to Daffycat's blog and leave a comment saying that you're in and start collecting your ORT's!  Even if you don't want to collect your ORT's, you will find links to some great blogs that you can read to while away the hours!!

The next 2014 ORT report will be ready for publication on or around 27th June 2014.  (Gosh that will mark the end of the first six months of the year!)

New Moons - 2014
27th June
26th July
25th August
23rd September
23rd October
22nd November
21st December

Til next time happy stitching!

"Bee" happy and keep stitching!

Hugs, Stitching Noni xx