Adieu 2011 - Welcome 2012

I can't believe it's already time to say good bye to yet another year. Here's a quick re-cap of the year that was and my finishes.

Let me start with my resolutions for 2011 and what I managed to keep up:
1. A veggie a day
2. A fruit a day
3. A piece of choc a day (to whet my sweet tooth and not to deprive myself of anything) and last but defffinitely not the least
4. (atleast) a stitch per day

Not that many resolutions, are they? But they were tough to keep up all the same, trust me. Of course #3 was the easiest of the lot ;) I definitely managed 1 and 3. A fruit a day - well, I have to admit that I have not been very sincere in that. And also, a stitch a day did get affected thanks to a lot of other activities and work. But overall, I am happy with the number of finishes I have had over the year. Especially considering that I think this was the most fruitful year when it comes to crafting

And now, what are to be my resolutions for 2012?! Am I brave enough to include more to the list above? Of course, my dear friends. So, here I go:
I have decided to stick to the above for sure.
1. A veggie a day
2. A fruit a day
3. A piece of choc a day (to whet my sweet tooth and not to deprive myself of anything) and last but defffinitely not the least
4. I am going to change "A sticth a day" to "A craft a day"
5. A stretch of brisk walk a day (any time between 20 -30 minutes is a stretch)
6. A handful of nuts a day.

Ok, now for my favourite part. Stitchy finishes of 2011

This is very special as it was my first ornament finish

I was unable to take a picture after I catually finished the bookmark unfortunately. It came out very well

Again, my first ever tin finish

Last but not the least the quaker welcome, which welcomes people home now :)
And now, as we embark into an all new year, I take with me a new project by Janlynn

I can't claim great progress, but have tried to put in atleast half a row daily.

Also, this year I have joined the Cottages SAL being co-ordinated by Vonna over here
And during 2011, I have made such wonderful friends through the blogging world. Dearest friends, without all your support and encouragement I am sure I would not have managed to have even these finishes. I cannot thank you enough for the support.

If you are still around, friends Wish you all a very very Happy, prosperous and a splendid Year 2012. Let it be everything happy, crafty and stitchy.
Till we meet in an all new year.. Take care.. Be Happy.. Keep Stitching.. Au Revoir

TUSAL

Wishing all my dear friends a very Merry Christmas. Have a great day with near and dear ones


This is going to be one of my shortest posts I guess. Today being new moon day, it's time to share my TUSAL for december

That's it from me dear friends for the day.
Till my next post, Be merry.. be happy.. take care.. keep stitching.. Au revoir

Baking and a new start

Yep, that's what I've been upto the last few days. We've had quite a lot of rain the last few weeks and it's only a week now since we've had a continuous dry spell. As a result, V's school has been closed for about 2 weeks - first thanks to the rain, second the water's still not drained from their school campus!!!

Now, how to keep her occupied?! She wanted to do something "on her own" with minimum help from me. Our first attempt was to bake some blueberry muffins

She was not satisfied as I had to help her quite a lot. So, we made some "magic" bars.

These really are magic!! It's one of the simplest and yet yummiest things I've baked. Not even mixing involved. So, this was done totally by V!! She was totally thrilled with the output

Guess what, I've joined in my first ever SALs!!! This is the cottages SAL that's being hosted by Vonna. She has started a special blog for this SAL.
 I am totally in love with the pattern and have placed an order for the complete supplies for January from ABCstitch. Am sooo excited to start on it. With my stitching "speed" I hope I can keep up with all the great stitchers.

And finally, yes I do have a new start. I have started working on "Collecting seashells" by Janlynn.

It's a teeny weeny start, but am already loving it. The aida that came along with the kit is great too.

And again.. I did it this year.. I forgot my bloggoversary!!! How could I?!?! It came and went by in November very quietly. Anyway, am really really happy that I've pulled along this long.
And this definitely would not have happened without all the immense support and encouragement from all my dear friends.
Thank you so very much for stopping by. Please do leave behind your lovely comments as a token. It's lovely to come back to the kind words.
So, my dear friends, till my next update.. Take care.. Keep stitching.. Be happy.. Au Revoir

UK Expreience

Here I am dear friends, with updates from my UK trip. The trip was an official one, but I had a weekend to go around as much as I could and eat/see/BUY of course!!!

The first place I visited was the Victoria & Albert Museum. I had a whole list of museums suggested by colleagues, but I selected this mainly because of the William Morris artefacts that they had in the gift shop!! I was overjoyed, would I miss an opportunity to even have a look at all these beautiful things.

This is a very pretty handkerchief embroidered in Lucknowi (A place in India) style. Loved the intricacy and the detailing in the workmanship. This was one of the exhibits in the museum

This here is an antique doll. Look at the features on the doll's face, the gown!! Everything about the doll is so pretty. These were a few of my favorites from the V&A.

On Saturday, took the train to London Paddington to go around London. My eyes immediately fell on the Paddington bear store. I was spoilt for choices there. 

After a loong time, I finally bought these from there - a magnetic bookmark, a fridge magnet and a tin of mints. I also bought a book called the "Original story of Paddington", but V has it with her and so I was unable to take a picture of it.

As I had a very short time, I thought that the best option to see as much as possible of London would be a package tour. So, I took one of the open bus tours. 

That was the great bus that took me around London. It was great fun.
The last day of the weekend, I walked around Picadilly. I simply loved the life around the place. Then went to Hamley's to buy a few toys for V. I could not believe the number of toys there. I bought a few souvenirs from around Picadilly. As is my norm, I bought as many different kinds of magnets to add to my collection.

Apart from magnets, I also bought a few trinkets, like snow globes, scarves etc.
Now, how would a trip to any place be complete without visiting the local crafts supplies store. After great amount of googling and asking around I managed to find a crafts store in the same county as I was in. So, the day before I left, I went there to call my trip complete. Here are all the stashy goodness I bought.

 I thought these trimmings to be very pretty and would add a bright touch to our crafts.

 This shell pendant was so pretty that I could not pass it :)

 And yes, a pair of scissors too.

 As hard as I tried not to buy any more kits, I really fell in love with the bright colours.

This is a plain wooden frame. I thought it would be great to cover it with a cross stitch cover.

I had about half a day on the day I was leaving. So, I went to Windsor to look around the castle. There was not sufficient time to go into the castle, so had to be content by walking around and taking as many pictures as I could. The Windsor & Eton central station itself was a great place to shop.
The first store I saw here was the Little Box Company, that had sooo many of these pretty little things.

A very little cushion caught my attention here, and guess why. It was a Morris design!!! Was I not delighted. Here is the pretty little thing

And now that am back and life is back to routine, it's time to embark on my next project.

So, dear friends, that's about my experience in the UK. I definitely did miss V a lot, but I think overall it was a great experience.
Till my next post.. Take care.. Be Happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

Hi There.. Am back

Wow, it's almost a month since my last post!! I am just catching up with all that I've missed while I was away. Hope you all are doing great and have been stitching hoards :)
Now, I have sooo many pictures to share. Not just from my trip to UK, but also all the beading that I did.

I am thinking of splitting this post in two. So, this would just be updates on my beading
Here I go...

I did my best to format the pictures well, so that they don't look too cluttered. There was a charity event going on at my cousin's office. And she wanted me to make some jewellery to sell. These are a few of the pieces I made. Some I copied designs from what I made for myself earlier, so they are replica.

So dear friends, this is all from me for the day. Promise to show you all that I got from UK tomorrow.
Till then.. take care.. be happy.. keep stitching. au revoir

Very much here

Yes my dear friends.. Am very much here. I am currently in the UK for a couple of weeks. I hope you have all been doing great and are really busy completing, starting, working on projeccts.

Oooh I've really missed my needle and thread. But I have finalized on what my next project is going to be. I am going to do a pillow. I do not have a new picture yet, but the picture is here in my earlier post. Hope to start working on it during the week.

And on the beading front, I have quite a few pictures to show you all. I've been reeaaally busy beading and making jewellery for a charity. I am waiting breathlessly for how it all goes, and how the reaction was. But right now, I am too tired to copy the pictures over.

Ok my dear friends, I am now going to call it a day and hit the sack. Thank you very much for stopping over.

Till my next update (am sure it's going to be a pictury one).. take care.. be happy.. keep stitching.. au revoir

Framed!!

Hello, my dear friends. Wow, am truly overwhelmed and thoroughly excited to see all your comments :d Thank you all so so much.

Now, this post is going to be a very quick one to show you the Welcome, framed!!

You can see my arms there reflected in the glass. Could not avoid that, any ideas how to avoid objects reflected in the glass?? Probably something to do with the lighting?

I am working feverishly on a few beading projects I've taken up. So, no new starts as of now. But I am contemplating starting another small project. Yet to start rummaging in my stash, yey!!

So, my dear friends, this is it from me today. Till my next update..Take care.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

A wedding, baking and a finish!!

Hello my dear friends. I have been bad and not updated the latest happenings for a few weeks now. There was just too much going on. So, here I go..Let me start with the wedding.

Sep 11th was my cousin's wedding. And what fun we all had. It was a great family get-together after many years. Uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews.. everybody enjoyed alike.

And the kids especially had a gala time. It was good to watch them have so much fun. Took me back to my own childhood days and how we all used to enjoy weddings. Ok, now for some pictures.
Vaishnavi wanted "long hair" for the wedding. So, here she is with her hair all braided up.

That's me (first on on the extreme left wearing the brown saree with the purse) with all the cousin sisters, showing off our brand new sarees :)
I baked a chocolate cake for my cousins for the mehendi ceremony. Decided to try my hand at some icing. So, made mint icing.

I used fresh cream for the topping. I saw in a TV show that if we beat fresh cream it becomes nice and fluffy where it just stays as a "peak". But am not sure if I did not beat it enough. It was quite runny. Tasted yummy though.. Would like to try this fresh cream again and get it right. Any suggestions or ideas please on how to go about this?
Another cake I baked was for my dad's birthday. This was again a chocolate cake.

This time I tried Coffee butter cream frosting. Came out yuuummmyyy...

And dear friends, yes I finally have finished Welcome!!! Isn't that absolutely great.

I simply love the way it has turned out. Love the way the black stands out of the fabric. I can't wait to get it framed and put up at home. Am definitely going to do this again later as a gift
I do not think I am going to start on a new cross stitch project just yet. I am going to concentrate on some beading for a while before taking up a project.
So, dear friends that's it from me for the day. Thank you sooo much for your continued support and comments.
Can somebody help me with showing how to reply to a comment? I do not see the "Reply" icon below comments left. Tried to read up help, but am sure that I am missing something.
Till next time.. Take care.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir

Some celebrations, some beading

Hi friends. Hope all my friends in the coastal part of US were not affected by Irene!!

First, a very hearty welcome to my new followers. I really hope you enjoy my blog and I keep you interested. I cannot thank you all enough to keep me inspired in crafting :)

Last friday was the 10th anniversary celebrations at V's school. V acted in a play that was a part of a scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly hallows - part 2. She was Hermione.
The scene they enacted was where Harry, Ron and Hermione are accompanied by the goblin to gringott's to get the horcrux and escape on a dragon.

From where we were, this was all I could capture of them getting away on the dragon. Other pictures were too hazy. Hope the pictures taken by the school are good.

Doesn't he look exactly like Harry?!! Could not find Ron around when I clicked this picture, and V was just waiting to get rid of her costume.

Now for some crafty pictures. Made some more jewellery last weekend. This time it is completely hand made.

Now, I don't know why this picture is rotated, it looks alright on my computer :(

The beads were actually plain wooden beads that my dear brother got from Michaels. On saturday afternoon V brought her poster colors and insisted I give her something to paint. So, I dug these out and helped her with just some mixing of colors. Otherwise, she did the coloring. After that, we let it dry for a day and I gave the golden "touch" to the beads and strung them last night. I might just re-string them into a new design later.

I do not have any stitchy updates this time. So, with that let me wrap up for now.
Till my next update.. take care.. be happy.. keep stitching.. Au Revoir

Soo.. much to update

Hello my dear friends. It has been a while since my last update. But, boy do I have updates for you to make up for all the silence.

Let me start with some celebration. 19th was V's birthday.. she's 7 now!!! Time sure does fly.

 

Clicked this picture just in time to catch the flair of her gown, hence the shake. 

 

This time we ordered a Dora cake for her. I wanted Dora to wear a similar gown like V's!! Mother's fancies I tell you

Ready to make a wish :)

I tried something new in beading - something more than just 2 strands. This time a more funkier look (I think). Used some multicolor seed beads and Coral chip beads.

For the ear-rings, tried something different than the usual hanging. What do you think?

And now for the juicy part.. Guess what, I have Stash!!! I know, am very bad when am going at a snail's pace with my current work. But just could not resist ordering some fabrics from 123stitch when little brother was coming home from the US.

Ordered the required threads and fabric for LHN's The Bookshelf pattern too. Hoping to start on that soon. Also ordered some red silk thread.

Now for my stitchy progress.

Am taking my own sweet time to finish this up. Am loving each stitch I put in this.
That's my updates for now friends.Till my next update.. Take care.. Be happy.. Keep stitching.. Au Revoir..