Online Advent Calendar 2017-December 20th

Jo of Serendipitous stitching organizes an Advent Calendar every year for stitching friends.
This is the second year I am taking part.
This year I am showing you three Christmas related things I have stitched this year.
First Winter season in crewel work (or simply embroidery) from There is a season for everything by Dimensions. This is a stamped kit of fabric and I decided to stitch it in another way as I don't love stamped cross stitch.
Here is a photo of that one.

I have already stitched Autumn too.

Then I stitched a felt ornament which was a freebie kit from Mollie makes and gifted to me by my friend Juliana from Scotland.

 Finally while taking part in the International Hermit & Stitch Weekend I stitched almost half of this runner. I had a dark blue piece of 18 count aida which I found too difficult to stitch on but I happened to find this pattern in Prima makes magazine and it is for a knitted cushion. So I adapted it and hope to finish it by Christmas.

Jo also sets a question every year. The question Jo set this year is....

How do you plan to spend Boxing Day?  Do you have any traditions associated with this day?

Boxing Day is not celebrated in Greece so there is nothing special about it. Usually shops are closed but restaurants and cafes are open and people have fun. Families walk around the city to enjoy the lights and this is what we will ptobably do that day too.Walk around the city and enjoy friends' company.

Finally I am  adding a photo of this year's huge beautifully lit tree in Aristotelous Square in the centre of my city Thessaloniki!

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

Thank you Jo for this lovely Advent Calendar.

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!

Christmas Gifts

This year I tried not to spend too much on gift giving. So I made my own gifts.
I also tried not to spend too much on gifts to myself.
I had to buy my cologne as it had finished and found a day that there was 30% off. Pure White Linen, I have been wearing it for years.I love the little sample gifts they give with the purchase of the cologne.
I also bought 2014 charms and some felt wool for my stones in colours I didn't have.

 That was something I hadn't done for a long time! Buy craft magazines. I bought my dear
Marie Claire Idees which is so good and so cheap. Inspite the fact that I don't speak French, at least I can see the great pics.
I also bought Crafts Beautiful for the felt ornaments it had in the kit and hope to make them.
Finally I bought Mollie Makes for the first time. I had heard so much about this magazine but it is soooo expensive in Greece. But again I really wanted to buy it for the felt kit on the cover and to have the experience of it at last. It is very good. I really loved reading it. I want to try so many things in it.

 Now things I received. A little money that I gave good use to (more on another blogpost).
Two bags.

One from hubby(red) and one from my cousin (felt grey).Unfortunately there was a pin on the grey bag and I lost it!
And a watch from hubby!No it isn't gold.

This lovely coffee maker from my sister-in-law. And lots of coffee and chocolate!

I love making filter coffee without having to use the big coffee maker.

This little porcelain bird from one of my students. I haven't received a gift from a student for ages and it was a nice surprise.

Hubby and I received this beautiful dish with homemade cookies from one of his old students and there were beautiful metal gifts in it.

 The children are designs from an old school book and the other two are Shadow Puppet figures.

I also received my photo portrait from school.

And a gift from my best friend this felt bag with chocolate.

And the things I gave.

This felted stone to my best friend.

 I also made her the fairy bread (I found the recipe in DesireEmpire blog. Thanks Carolyn!). It was super easy, really beautiful to look at and absolutely delicious and the kids loved it and also my effort to make something from their mum's background was appreciated).

 And one of my felt ornaments.

 I made my niece this pendant. I bought the metal charm, painted it and added beads and laces and a chain. She loves photography! That's why I chose this charm.

 I made this stone for my cousin in Athens.

 And this huge one for my other cousin. I had found the coin at the beach and thought that since he is an archaeologist it suits him although it isn't a very old one.

 And this one for my other cousin.

I also made this felt ornament charm for my sister-in-law.

I love making, giving and receiving gifts! Don't you?