Heartfelt Friends Round Robin

Thought i would end the year with some stitching photos seeing as it's what this blog's primarily about :) My Heartfelt Friends Round Robin returned to me in one piece Woohoo! I read so much about these going missing but i was one of the lucky ones! A big thank-you to Donna, Edgar, Lesley, Janice and Rowyn for stitching on it for me (especially Rowyn who kindly stepped in at the end)! Its an LHN house theme as you can see and it has been on quite a journey - Scotland, England, America and New Zealand! I need to finish my square on it now.

Ashamedly i have had Jancie's RR in my possession way too long. I wasnt stitching for ages earlier in the year. Pregnancy caused an aversion to stitching! However, a few weeks ago i did finish my square. Janice wanted an LHN autumn theme. I stitched this square

and here's how her piece looks overall. Lovely! I didnt want to post it off to Lesley as i was worried about it getting lost in the Christmas rush but i will soon! Speaking of Christmas i'd quite like to do a Christmas themed Round Robin sometime...just an idea.

Well this will be my last post of 2008! Tonight we are going to our friend's house to bring in the New Year. Hopefully i'll be able to stay awake until midnight! Here's wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!!

Christmas 2008

Thanks for all the Christmas wishes/emails etc. I meant to get on here before Christmas to wish all my blogging friends a Happy Christmas but never got round to it! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

For those that have been wondering, there's no sign of baby yet. Im due one week tomorrow!! Im fed up now - tired, swollen, uncomfortable in all positions etc etc At my last appointment with my midwife, baby still hadnt dropped into my pelvis so she thinks i will be late. I really hope i dont have to be induced but i have to say, it really doesnt feel like its gonna come out soon!

We had a nice Christmas. On Christmas eve i ended up having to venture to the shops for some last minute things. Then i came home and baked 2 banana loafs and some gingerbread men. In the evening we went out for a Chinese meal with my family which was the best Chinese food ive ever had! Christmas day was spent at my mum and dads house with my aunt and uncle and my Gran. My sister was at her in-laws this year. On boxing day, my mum and dad came to mine and i cooked a Shepherds pie and then we watched my favourite Christmas movie - Elf. Yesterday, DH and I walked for an hour and then i came home and slept for 2! I was pretty wiped out all day yesterday actually.

I slept so badly last night that we skipped church this morning. Today i plan on getting some baby things organised. I dont feel like baby is gonna come soon so ive been delaying all the things i really need to do, like pack my hospital bag, sort out the baby's crib/clothes etc etc Thats what this week holds in store!

Maternity leave is great

I am loving being off work! I havent been bored at all yet. Its great! On Monday i went Christmas shopping but walking around the shopping centre was totally exhausting and i had to come home and go to bed for 2 hours after it LOL Monday night was our Christmas ladies night at church. On Tuesday i was back in work to finish a couple of things and then they took me out for the afternoon, i got lovely presents and flowers. On Wednesday i stayed home and played domestic goddess for the day and cooked a lovely Shepherds Pie (even if i do say so myself) which was a recipe from one of my Delia Smith cookbooks that ive used maybe once in 2 years LOL Thursday i got my haircut, did more Christmas shopping and went out for my sisters birthday in the evening. Today i was at the dentist, then at my mum and dads for lunch and im just home. The week has passed quickly.

I heard from Carol that she received the Reindeer Games exchange i sent her. Its a design from JCS 2006 Christmas issue by The Workbasket. I made this hanging pillow and found the perfect reindeer fabric for it.

Not the best pictures but you get the idea! I sent along some other goodies too but didnt photograph those.

Excited to put up my Christmas decorations tomorrow!!

Reindeer Games

As you can see above, I received my Reindeer Games exchange from Lisa on Friday. Lisa said that its an American folk arts design of a reindeer dated from 1666 and she finished it as a no sew cube. It's lovely! She also included great gifts - a reindeer ornie, a reindeer tea towel, threads and cute christmas buttons. I love everything Lisa, thanks so much! I just hope the exchange i sent arrives okay now!

I also reached another milestone with CDC. Ive finished 2 pages now and started the third! Im right back into this again although i need to put it aside to finish Janice's RR which ive embarassingly had far too long.

In pregnany news, i have one month to go and i've finished work!! Woooo Hooooo! Cant tell you how good it feels. Im going in this week but just for a lunch and i plan to attend the Christmas night out but that's hardly work!! So good to have that stress away. I am 36 weeks pregnant now and here's the most recent bump shot taken last week at my baby shower

We picked up our pram yesterday (i love the pram we got) and DH had the job of putting it together. My job was to oversee.....obviously LOL. What can i say? I was tired!!!

Baby shower

Well its been a busy week since i last posted. We've had 2 thanksgiving meals (even though we're in Scotland) and a baby shower. The baby shower was for me (my 2nd one)! My friend Sherri organised it for me and it was really good fun! There were about 18 of us. I dont know if Sherri reads this blog but she is truely one of those great friends who is so kind and considerate and goes out her way to help people. She has a 7month year old already and has been so kind at passing on loads of things i will need when babyT arrives, from maternity clothes to baby baths! She's been great and i really appreciate it! Anyway...back to the shower... i got loads of lovely presents and we played lots of fun games. The funniest moment had to be trying on these lovely knickers that my friend Claire got me for a jokeI hope i'll never need them for real! LOL

One thing i can't get over is just how kind people are! Ive had so many gifts and presents already, our house is filling up as you can see from this picture of presents (apart from the iron and ironing board)I must thank 2 of my good blog friends for their lovely gifts recently; Lesley sent me a whole box of baby clothes which i really appreciate and Michele sent me the most gorgeous scrapbook - i'll take a picture of it sometime! And these are people ive never met -its so kind!!

So the big news this week will be me finishing work!! For those that regularly read my blog you will know that i have been counting down the days for a long time! This thursday is my last day. Im excited to finish but a little apprehensive as well which i didnt really expect. I dont want what ive worked on over the past while to be messed up and on the other hand i dont want my replacement to come in and do a much better job than me LOL can't win!

On the stitching front, i finished my Reindeer Games exchange for the sbebb and mailed it today. I was really pleased with my finished piece so i look forward to posting a picture once its been received!