A truly lovely weekend!

This weekend it finally felt as if spring had truly arrived. The weather was almost balmy and Saturday there wasn't a cloud to be seen. After a week of high winds and rain it was most welcome. I keep peeking around the corner 'cause I know it's just too good to be true!

For the first time this year I was actually out on the deck stitching. Yeah!! It didn't last for long though and this is the reason why

My two most favourite little girls in the world arrived Saturday afternoon to spend an overnight with Grandma Lynn. We've been trying to get together for weeks now but either my schedule or Dad's just wouldn't jive. In the meantime, both Easter and Oceanne's 6th birthday passed us by. Finally we were able to all be together and celebrate both occasions.

Seeing as it was such a fantastic day Saturday, we spent the afternoon out on the deck blowing bubbles with fancy bubble pipes and the like courtesy of Uncle Dan. Great fun was had by all!

When the girls were in bed for the night, an exhausted Grandma attempted to continue stitching but ended up falling asleep, needle in hand.

The picture now following will show you how the day began today! Summer is such a little clown!

So now I sit recuperating, tired, but loving every memory of every minute spent together this weekend. The girls are home in their own beds now but will be returning in three weeks time to help celebrate my retirement. They may have to put me in a home after that visit, lol!

My pitiful stitching progess of the past week now follows.

First up, Sweet Little Berries. You'd think I'd be finished with this little quickie by now but it has been tossed aside lately in favour of Spring Quakers. I'm finally getting around to stitching the berries. The pattern suggests using the floss in such a way as to shade the berrries, dark on one side and light on the other. Unfortunately, the overdyed floss does not always cooperate. What I have left is not all that varied so I'm just stitching the berries as charted. There is some small variation in colour and it's just fine.

Next, Spring Quakers. I've concentrated only on the one motif this week. I'd really hoped that I'd have it finished by now but as you can see I made it only halfway throught.

There are so many colour changes in this piece with a lot of confetti stitching that I find I waste a lot of time changing my needle. Sometimes I feel like I'm getting nowhere fast. I'm sitting here looking at the pic of it and I apologize if it appears a little blurry. Or is that just my tired eyes?

The only other stitchy related pic I have for you this week is of a recent framed stitch which I picked up.

Waxing Moon Witches Garden has been sitting folded in my completion drawer for some time now, just waiting for me to pull it out and head off to the framers. It looks a little washed out in this picture due to the bright sunlight. The leaves on the sunflower's stem are almost invisible! Trust me though, it looks much better indoors.

I may not have been stitching much this past week but I have considered it a rather lucky week. First I won $40 on two of my Lotto Max tickets which had been hiding in the bottom of my purse. Then I received an email informing me that I'd won another giveaway! Karen, a fellow Canadian, celebrated her 300th post with her first giveaway. My winnings are a $40 gift certificate from my favourite online needlework shop! Thank you so much Karen!! I was so excited when I found out. I seem to be on a roll lately.

Speaking of giveaways, Deborah of Cranberry Samplings is having a wonderful giveaway to celebrate her 400th post! She is offering a lovely stitched sewing box, personalized with your inital and filled with sewing related goodies. Go ahead and check it out. Wow, and to think I was excited by 200 posts!

Now I'm off to put up my feet, watch a little TV and perhaps put in some of those little crossed things. That's if I can keep my eyes from crossing too!