Frieda was here.

I have so much fun when my friend Frieda from Skiathos is here. We do things together and I have an excuse for hubby that Frieda will just stay for a couple of days and we have to do things and see things. So I am away from home all the time!LOL!Not that I need an excuse for that!
So Frieda came on Wednesday and we had some coffee and caught up. Then on Thursday which was Tsiknopempti we went for a shopping walk at the city centre. I bought some licorice tea and some felt to try my hands on wet felting.

Then we had lunch at a small tavern. It is customary to eat meat on that day and so we did.

Frieda had introduced me to this etsy shop dutchsisters and here our bags met each other.Aren't they lovely? I hold mine every day and it has kept its shape so well.

Then on Saturday we went again for a walk.
We saw some lovely tops decorating Koperti, a friend's school in the neighbourhood.

Then we walked more and we saw a new antique store.We had to pay a visit although it wasn't filled  with merchandise yet.

We loved the ceilings and frescos on the walls.

We did a little bit of shopping too.

Here is what I bought at very good prices.
A big hand embroidered vintage tablecloth. I loved the colours and the patterns on it.

 And this 40-year-old Russian book. It is Alexander Pushkin's Poems and Tales and although I cannot read Russian I love its beautiful illustrations.

Then we went to Vafopouleion Institute where we visited an exhibition of realia from the 1821 war of independence.
We had a guided tour by one of the collectors who were presenting their beautiful items there and we very much enjoyed it.One could see paintings, jewelry, traditional clothes, guns and my favourite various types of embroideries.Like this golden work.Isn't it magical?All this handstitched!

 And I loved the portrait of beautiful Katerina Botsari.

 And the vignette about Lord Byron.

 I adored this piece of embroidery too.

Of course such a great walk had to finish with some tsipouro at our favourite Volos restaurant and a walk at the sea front.

It was fun Frieda, let's do this again.
By the way I have probably told you again that Frieda and other talented ladies on Skiathos island are working hard for their "child" the Green Fox Project. They are collecting and recycling all the plastic bottles and tin cans of the island all by themselves voluntarily. They need a car to do this job and they have started a pledge to gather some money to get one. So if anyone wants to help (every little bit helps) you can go here or on the button of the Green Fox project on my side bar and donate as much as you would like to.

Spring mood

Isn't it great when the weather is better? I love it then.My mood sets sail let's say.
And speaking of Spring have a look at this lovely issue of Spoonful that dear Anthea sent me all the way from Australia. It is filled with lovely photos and articles about flowers.
You can buy the magazine here or here.
Here are a couple of photos from the magazine.

 I especially liked Paula Valentim's aka otchipotchi creation for the magazine.

 and have a look at this bleeding poppy by the talented Eunike Nugroho.

If you feel like creating for Spring or Easter  then you can also take part in the beautiful competition that Spoonful has right now and till April 1st.
And here is Spring in my city.

Wordless Spring Wednesday

 The Spring and the March page from that old book I have shown you before.

My wallpaper for a couple of days .

Then I changed to this lovely one by Tatiana in LaBoom.

The Cherry Orchard

I had a great full weekend.And it is already Tuesday! Hope yours was good too.
Friday after school I finished all the school work so that I don't feel that I have work to do during the weekend. I always do that and even when I was a student I did it so I felt free the whole weekend.
I had two drama club rehearsals this weekend as usual. I cleaned the whole house of course. Usual chores.
But I did some special things too.
On Saturday morning I had coffee with my girl friends after quite some time. And on Sunday morning I had coffee with my brother and sister-in-law again after a while which was great.

On Saturday night I went to the theatre with hubby after some time too.
We attended The Cherry orchard by Anton Chechov.You can find info here about the performance. We loved it.
The new thing about it was that it was acted inside a very old estate, Villa Kapantzi,which has the same age as the play.
We were only 45 spectators and we attended the play inside the living room as if we were guests. It was amazing. The actors were fantastic, among them our drama teacher from school Marita Tsalkitzoglou.
Of course I could not take pictures but I am showing you the play leaflet.

And on Sunday I started my thalasseaglass page on facebook too.
Go there and like my page if you feel like it!

And I played a lot with Barca, of course!

What the mail brought...

...in December!
Of course December mail was Christmas mail and maybe it is too late to show it but I want all my friends to know that I really appreciated all the things I received, wishes, letters, Christmas cards and presents. I have answered by e-mail to say that I received the parcels but I still owe letters, I know!And there are some people I never sent a Christmas card even but this year I really tried to send as less as possible as postage has gone so high that at times it isn't affordable.
So here are...

Gaby's card and gift from Scotland.Doesn't the Scottish flag look like the Greek one?My school keys are on this now.

 Johanna's Christmas card from Finland,

 Juliana's parcel from Scotland(I have worn this scarf so much this winter J&J)

And there are some great but very difficult patterns in this!

 J&J you sent so much thank you!

  I loved those dishes that you can see in the dark under UV light and filled with beach finds from Kos island.

 Juliana's Xmas card.

Juliana made lovely sea glass ornaments and I use this keyring for my home keys every day.

 Tua's card and driftwood reindeer from Finland,

 Christine's card from France,

 Ruth's card and vintage cross stitch book from Israel. (the book has lovely simple designs. I will use some when I start stitching again when Barca allows it!)

and a parcel from dear Marabeth.

which included this amazing vintage thrift store find. A cross stitch piece that shows the landmark of my city the White Tower and the Greek and American flag. This was probably stitched as a commemorative piece from a Greek lady and given as a gift or kept till not wanted any more. I am so glad Marabeth has an eye for great cross stitch pieces and she got me this!Thanks Marabeth!

 And this lovely cross stitched bag for my sea glass walks.

 Also another find of Marabeth's, a crochet bell for my tree. This year my tree was all cross stitch and crochet ornaments.

 And this lovely heart brooch.

 Cathy's card and letter.

 I loved those stamps.

 Kim's card and calendar.

 Andria's card, calendar and sea glass ornament.You can find similar ornaments and lovely jewelry at Andriasserendipity etsy shop.

 Brigitte's gifts and card. Go to objectifseychelles  if you want to organise yout holidays to the beautiful Seychelles.

 Again thank you all for thinking so warmly of me!

The Spring has sprung

Today, March the 1st, is a glorious sunny but cold day.
I cut a small branch from a tree I saw in my neighbourhood that has already bloomed. And I put it in my little bathroom budvase.And it changed my mood at once as its little buds started blooming one by one after a while.Isn't nature magical?

 And I made a makrame Martis, a little bracelet for March. I made it with red and white thread  and a button. It is a custom here to put one on on the 1st of March so the first warm sunny days do not burn your skin!