Big Birthday Blog Hop!

Jo of  Serendipitous Stitching is celebrating her birthday on the 17th September with a
                                                        big birthday blog hop!
She gave each of the bloggers-followers a year to write about.
We had to do three things.
1. Write what Jo did that year, information she provided us with.
2. Write what we did that year.
and 3. Post a photo of something we have stitched.

I got 1968.
The funny thing is that Jo and I have the same age so I was 2 at that year as well, only a couple of months older.

This is what Jo wrote about that year.


1968 - Jo was 2.  She was living in Catterick, Yorkshire with her Mum, Dad, a cat called Snowy and a new baby sister.  Dad was in the Army so Jo was an Army Brat!  The family moved to Catterick at the start of the winter and it snowed for the entire time they lived there before the family moved to warmer climes.



And here's what I can say about me in that year.

1968- I was 2. I was living in Istanbul, Turkey with my Mum, Dad, older brother Michael and grandma Ariadne. Dad was working at a wire factory. I don't remember much about that year. But I do remember living in a block of flats with a back yard and I played with a little Armenian girl called Alin. Our family had to move to Greece a couple of months later (in 1969) as the relationship between Greece and Turkey was getting worse.

As I haven't been stitching much lately I will add a photo of the last thing I stitched which is the month of May from the SAL- Joyful World by Snowflower Diaries.
I am really behind but hope to finish it by the end of the year! We will see.
Having read in Jo's blog about  Justine's Solo September  I thought of taking part in it too, but wasn't sure if I could commit.
So here's how I started

 and here's what I am up to now!

But if this isn't enough for you I can also share a photo of one of my finishes for 2012. That year was a very productive year cross stitch wise so you can read and see all of my finishes of that year in this link.
This one was a house warming gift for my best friend.

Dear Jo, I wish you to have a great birthday! Enjoy the day! And many happy returns!
Why don't you visit Jo's blog to wish her yourself?

The Snowflower Diaries Joyful World SAL

Back in January I started stitching a SAL( Stitch Along).

It is given for free by sweet Maja of The Snowflower Diaries blog and thousands of stitchers around the world are stitching along this beautiful calendar.

You can join in here on facebook.

You can find more lovely designs by Maja on her etsy shop too.

I am using some fabric I already had which I am not sure what it is but it looks like 28count. 

I coffee dyed it.

I printed my first month and I started using the threads I already had.

Barca keeps me company while I stitch.

Although I am not used to stitching on such high count I managed to finish the first month very quickly because only a couple of days later the second month was coming.

 February was stitched fast as well. Always with Barca next to me.

 February finished.

Every pattern is introduced in the group on facebook on the 10th of the previous month.

And here's March, so sweet.

Barca looked anxiously to see the next month completed.

 No in fact she was looking at my snack.

 And here's April completed.

I have already printed the pattern of May but haven't managed to start it yet!

March is here!

Yes it is here and inspite the fact that February had a day more this year time flew by so quickly!
So March is here and I made a little bead bracelet to put on my wrist as the custom has it.That's my Martis.

March is here and I finished the March part of the Snowflower diaries SAL I have been making along with thousands others around the world. I will talk about this in another blogpost.

And our school is being painted by the Municipality in lovely bright spring colours.It isn't finished yet.(I know I showed this in a previous blog post but I love it so much!)

And teachers and pupils have been making our school beautiful from the inside too with blooming almond trees on their doors.

Have a great month and thank you for all your visits and comments. I try to visit everyone's blog posts and leave comments. I also try to answer everyone but most of you are no-reply bloggers.

Calendars and diaries

Every year I choose to use a couple of calendars and diaries.
I love writing down what happens every day, things to do, lists and more lists!
That's how I am and I don't forget things in this way.
I have school work lists, reading lists (what I have read and what to read), stitching lists, mail lists (what I received and what must be written and sent),birthday lists, appointments lists,meetings lists,chores lists, bills lists etc etc
That's why I need lots of calendars and diaries!
For 2016
I put up the calendar Wonders of Hungary my friend Andrea brought me from her country this summer.

And that's the January page! I jot down important appointments and dates here.

I write my daily memoirs in the 2016 diary I was given as a gift from The Smile of the Child after our Luxembourg trip.

I keep notes and appointments in my Pygolampides  agenda in my bag. Local friends can find it for free in this link here. It has got lots of handicrafts and information inside.

This is the organiser I have at school. So very English.

I keep handicrafts notes (what I make every day) in this Mollie Makes craft calendar that was included in the December Mollie Makes issue that my friend Juliana sent me as a gift. It had lovely stickers with it and I use them in my diary.

And I also decided to print this free downloable Alisa Burke calendar and use it for more notes on my desk. I printed it on different colour for every month but it will also look lovely in white and you can colour the pages in.

Last but not least I am making a stitched calendar for 2016.
I joined in a SAL (=Stitch Along) and will be stitching this calendar every month along with hundreds of other stitchers around the world. It is free so if you like cross stitch join in!
You will find it on facebook but also on  this blog here. It is the Stitch Along The Joyful World by the Snowflower Diaries.

 I have already stained my white fabric and have already started stitching it. Barca always follows me while stitching!She seems to enjoy seeing me relaxing!

Are you keeping any kind of diaries or calendars?
Have a great 2016!