So here we go - I have so much to tell you. First of all here is Crafty Cat - going to be all mine in a week or so. It was an ebay purchase (UK). I was thinking i will get some Liliput Lane cottage from the same seller, but decided will do some more research on the kind of cottage that will fit very well with a 'gate' chart i have and the Perfect Patio kit. As for Crafty, i was wanting her presence in my stitchy area so much. I could probably have waited for a better deal(?), but this was good enough for me, LOL. This will be my very first Margaret Sherry design.
Then here is the Oak Haven Design - June and July of the January SAL. I started this SAL in end February-early March, and am so happy i have completed more than half:) Once i finish December, there is *lot* more stuff to do on this baby blue coverlet. That is under wraps yet, and you will see the gradual unveiling, after December is completed, LOL. Tonia, the cheerful lady behind OHD group was operated for a bypass surgery last week. Hope she gets well soon.
Tomorrow is the end of July. There were 7 nights that i was unable to stitch in July:( 2 owing to Toto my sweet - he was too energetic to sleep!!, 2 owing to the gift preparation!! and 3 owing to fatigue). For some weeks now I have been going through a rough patch at home - that in turn affected my health, my appetite - sadly i am a worry wort. The good news however is that in spite of stitching some 22-24ish days, I am currently at the half page milestone. So cheer up lady, eh! Hopefully you will get a good pace in August.
Now coming to the gift for my husband's birthday:) The doggie face is from a freebie i found here - i used only the face part, the checks i have put are my own idea. This doggie face is my husband's favorite doodle pastime!! so i thought he will find that thoughtful, LOL.
Methinks he liked it - for the first half of his birthday, it was lying on his office bag. That is enough returns for me ladies!! And then i wanted my son to contribute too. So if you see this you will know. The left side is his contribution and so is the card base. 
Here is a version with sun light pouring, nature's contribution:)
It is his very first ABC Book, which he liked/loved paging turns of - so much that the pages are separate from the book cover!! So his book cover became our card base.
I am also getting Lizzie Kate crazy. I do umpteen searches a day for the Living with Charm series. I have searched enough groups / forums / sale lists to see if they have this set of charts at a price i find affordable. There are some more of the LK ones i like (ABC Lessons for example), and this *TOPS* the list.
I have finally found two shops relatively close to where i live, where i can get fusible interlinings. I hope me and applique are two sisters separated at birth, who will hug each other when they meet. Let us see. Well more like triplets, LOL. Cross stitch, applique and me.
Here is a quote from Pearl S. Buck that i am loving and plan to pin it on my blog some where. There is a magnetic pull towards this:
"I love people. I love my family, my children . . . but inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up. "
