Birthday girl!

Yes, it's that time of year when there is cake, lots of cards and maybe a gift or two.... Eeek! I'm feeling old. I'm not celebrating a BIG birthday, I've got a couple of years to go until the next big birthday, but the realisation of just how much time has elapsed and how things have changed in the last ten years or so has really sunk in lately. I've got a few nice days planned though (I could never let my birthday celebrations be concentrated into just one day after all!!)... I went out to lunch with my Dad yesterday to a lovely little pub - The Castle at Rowlands Castle in Hampshire. Today I'm off to my SILs and we're going to do some more family tree research before her, my DB and my nephews take me out for dinner this evening. Tomorrow Andy is coming over to pick me up and whisk me away to Wiltshire. We're staying overnight at Warminster before visiting Longleat Safari Park on Saturday. Then finally on Sunday, my dear niece Ellie, who is a cake decorator extraordinaire, is making me a special birthday cake and we're having a family tea at my DS's house with lots of family. The weather forecast is really good for the next few days, so let the celebrations begin! My boss gave me a special little cake when I was at work on Tuesday:

It arrived in its own little box as you can see! I shared it with my Dad when I went to see him yesterday. I loved the glittery icing!! Whilst I'm on the subject of work..... I have some good news to share. I have had a promotion, albeit a temporary one. The HR Manager at our Horsham branch has gone onto adoption leave for a year and I am going to be covering there for 2 days a week as a 'Relief HR Manager'! I will still be doing 3 days in my current branch in my existing role, so I'm sure it's going to be quite an exciting time. I was handed over to last week and it's my first day in Horsham on Monday, so I'm getting a little nervous now. Keep everything crossed for me please!!

Last but not least, a little more progress on The Guardian:

I'm working on the trees behind his head at the moment. It's all half stitch, some with 5 strands of thread which feels a little strange to stitch with. Thanks for everyones lovely comments on my progress updates so far - it seems like you love this project! Happy stitching everyone :o)

It's my birthday!

Oh my goodness - how did that happen?!!! Yes folks, today is my birthday. I've had some lovely gifts, including the Mirabilia White Christmas chart, some SMF fabbie and silks from Gill, a little cuddly Eeyore, a diary, some Thornton choccies, tickets to see Ray Davies of The Kinks next week, 'Yellow Submarine' Beatles CD and the promise to get my digi camera fixed from Andy, a gorgeous pink spangly leather make-up bag & lippie from my boss, a nodding Captain Jack Sparrow figure from Sharon and some money from my Dad. I don't feel my age at all. I'm still about 24 in my head I think!

I'm in the middle of a few days off from work at the mo, which I think I really needed. Work is truly exhausting right now! We've just started taking on all our Christmas casuals & I've got lots of inductions coming up over the next few weeks. I've also got a couple of little business trips - I'm going to the Horsham store one day next week for a training day and then on the 31st I'm down to Bournemouth for 3 days for a conference and more training. I really do love my job, though I'm looking forward to it quieting down substantially in mid-November once all the new staff are on board.

My camera is still unco-operative. Andy has promised to get it fixed for me though, so hopefully I'll be able to share photos very soon. I've managed to get quite a bit of stitching on my Forest Goddess in over the last few days, although I'm really getting HAED pangs right now & want to get back into my Polar Bear blues once more!! I want to finish FG though before I move on, so that I can have at least one more finish this year.

Not much progress with Dad's health. He is due to have day surgery on the 26th for his 'fistula', in prep for his starting dialysis. I'm hoping that once he starts dialysis, he will feel better in himself. He's pretty down with all the things that are happening to him. Sadly, his elderly friend across the road from him died on Friday. He was in his 90s & had been housebound for many years. He cared for his wife who was also housebound & had severe demensia. It seems he had a nasty fall when he got up in the night to help his wife. It's so sad. She will now have to go into a home to be looked after properly & she probably won't even realise that he's gone.

I had a nice few days up in Yorkshire at Sharon's last month. Although we didn't go anywhere as she was pretty poorly with morning sickness due to her expecting once again. She also asked me if I would be baby no.2's Godmum & I was delighted to say yes!! I will have to get stitching something special for the new little one who is due in May.

Surprise!

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments on Petal. They are muchley appreciated!! :o)

I had a lovely birthday too. Andy bought me a new bike, which was unexpected indeed, though he's a keen cyclist and just wants to share cycling trips with me :o) We don't pick it up until this weekend and unfortunately it isn't in pink as I had requested, but a groovey chrome one instead. I also have to wear my new cycle helmet which is going to flatten my hair to smithereens, but I guess its a necessary evil on the roads these days. Its been about 10 years since I rode a bike, I had a minor accident & haven't got on one since, so I will probably be a little nervous the first few times. Andy also bought me some little knick knacks & took me out for a delicious meal and we also went to see a comidienne in the evening who was very funny indeed ;o) My friend Gill made some lovely stitching accessories for me - a needle case and stitching bag in my fave autumnal colours - thank you so much Gill!! :o) She also bought me the new Passione Ricamo chart which I can't wait to start and some lovely threads too. I got vouchers from everyone else & went on a shopping spree yesterday to get some new clothes - since I met Andy I've lost nearly 2 stones, so alot of my clothes don't fit anymore! So I managed to get some nice new things.

I've been very naughty again and have been neglecting my Frederick & instead have carried on with Celtic Spring! I so love the colours in this design & watching the folds in the dress appear is such a testament to MLI's beautiful designing talents.

I've decided not to go for the job I told you about in my previous blog entry - we drove over for a reccy on Saturday & its much further than I thought, plus transport links aren't very close so I would probably have to use my car. I shall continue looking, but am not going to rush into anything as I really do love my current job so it would have to be something just right for me to leave.

We're off to see the new Wallace & Gromit film - The Curse of the WereRabbit this weekend & I can't wait to see it!!! I love the short films The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave so I have high expectations for it. I'll let you know what it's like! ;o)

Petal Fairy HD

Thought you might like to see my finished Petal Fairy conversion :o) I finished her in August, but with all my PC problems I only managed to upload a photo recently and for complicated reasons (which are far too boring to go into here) I can't put her in my Webshots album. Grrrr! She is my own conversion and is stitched on Silkweaver's Spring Garden 32ct jobelan fabric which is slightly darker IRL. I'm very pleased with the results - it is my first major conversion and definitely won't be my last!

Things are pretty much the same elsewhere in my life. I went to see my Dad yesterday and he's still finding it hard & being a bit unreasonable but I guess things will get easier with time.

Yesterday I received a letter informing I'd been selected for interview at a job I'd applied for which will be on Friday 21st October. Its a job I'm not quite sure if I want or not just yet, but I shall still go to the interview & see how things turn out. Wish me luck just incase!! ;o)

I was very naughty last weekend & started another project - it's from my stash though so I won't be too hard on myself! I'm stitching Frederick the Literate which is a Dimensions kit. If you haven't seen this particular one it features a cat snoozing amongst some bookshelves with lots of aptly named cat type books! My Dad's middle name is Frederick and as he loves cats & books I thought I'd have a bash at stitching it for him for Christmas. It could be a close run thing though as to whether I get it finished in time! It's on black fabric too..... but looking ok so far.

I have a nice weekend coming up - its my birthday on Sunday & Andy has some surprises up his sleeve for me, the little sweetie! I know we're going out for a meal & we're going to see something at the comedy club in the evening, but other than that I'm not quite sure what he has planned or what he's bought for me! As anyone who knows me will tell you, I am terrible with surprises - I always manage to discover what friends or family have bought for me or what they're going to do but this time I really do have absolutely no idea!!! My 30s are scooting by, which is a bit scary... but hopefully there aren't too many grey hairs showing just yet!!! :o))))