11 days before finals

It is that time again... no stitching, no life, just studying...

Happy Victoria Day Canada!!!

Unofficial first day of summer! In the Yukon all lakes are free of ice, all poplars are green and ditches are yellow. Soon wild roses will be in the full bloom and fireweed right after. I love this time of the year. 

What do people do on Victoria Day?

In some cities, fireworks displays or parades are held to mark Victoria Day. One of the most notable parades is held in the city of Victoria, British Columbia, which was named after Queen Victoria. Many people gather in parks to enjoy fireworks displays, which are particularly impressive in Hamilton and Toronto.

For many people, the long Victoria Day weekend marks the end of the winter and the unofficial start of the spring or summer season.  After this weekend, gardeners can be reasonably sure that there will be no more frost until the autumn so they can sow or plant out delicate crops and plants.  For the same reason, people with recreational homes in colder parts of the country often go to them to open them up for the summer. In addition, many amusement parks and outdoor attractions open for their summer season this weekend. Notably, stores on Prince Edward Island are only permitted to open on Sunday between Victoria Day and Christmas Day.

What do I do on Victoria Day this year?

• Stitch and stitch some more almost all day long
• Read
• Go for a very long walk
• Have a glass of wine and watch season finale of 24, two hours special!

Background

Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819. Following the death of three uncles and her father, she became Queen of the United Kingdom on June 20, 1837 and reigned until her death on January 22, 1901. Victoria is still the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. During Victoria's life, the British Empire expanded considerably. However, her powers as Queen of the United Kingdom were reduced as the House of Commons became more important and powerful in British politics.

The monarch's birthday has been celebrated in Canada since before the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign. After her death, in 1901, May 25 became known as Empire Day. The sovereign's official birthday was still celebrated, often on the King's or Queen's actual birthday. In 1952, Empire Day was moved to the Monday before May 25 and since 1953, the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II has been celebrated on this date in Canada. In 1958, Empire Day became known as Commonwealth Day, which was moved to the second Monday in March. The Monday before May 25 then became known as Victoria Day, which is a Canadian statutory holiday.

Look what I found in the mailbox!!!

The most desired postcard I've ever got!!! I love it, I love it, I absolutely love it!!! Thank you so much Lauren.

Is your birthday in July? Let's celebrate it together!

My birthday is in July and I would love to celebrate it with other people from around the world that are born in July also. Let's make this month a very special one and send a gift to each other.

Here are the rules:

1. You must be born in July
2. You must be a swap-bot member
3. You will send a birthday card and the gift according to your partner's profile. If your partner has a Wish List, send something from that list. It can be homemade or store bought but it has to be something that you would like to receive. Contact your partner if you are not sure
4. The sign-up for this swap will end May 31, and packages must be sent by mid-June (so we can receive them on or before our birthdays)
5. Please make sure that your profile is fill out nicely with all your likes and dislikes. Make sure to let us know of any allergies you may have
6. All participants are welcome, regardless of ratings. After all it is our birthday and if we need a "second chance", this is the month to have it. I will check all profiles and if I see something "nasty" you will have to explain
7. I hope I will not have to, but I will angel if necessary. We do not want sad birthdays.

Happy swapping!

New start

I'm absolutely nuts about ancient Egypt. Heaven and Earth Designs has a beautifully design Egyptian Temple and of course I had to have it. I knew I will stitch it some day, some day not to soon. Well, soon came sooner that I thought. Yesterday I decided to keep Kelly company in frustration so here they are, my first 261 (of 143,125) very tiny stitches of Egyptian Temple:

Not much to look at... but this is how it will look when done:

And that's not all. After those mini stitches, that you can hardly see I worked a little on the Tiger:

Wasn't the best choice of relaxation for my eyes. From extremely small to confetti... Thank goodness for the 24, the show came on and that was the and of my stitching.