I am getting really excited as tomorrow is one of my personal highlight's of the year - the Spring Country Living Show.

This wonderfully inspiring retail show takes its name form the equally inspiring UK magazine, Country Living. It takes place in the beautifully designed Business Centre in the north London borough of Islington. This show always takes place just before Easter and is an absolute confection of Spring greens, Easter chick lemons and cupcake pinks, so it's a real treat for the eyes.

Although a lifestyle rather than a craft show, this is a great place to track down potential book authors as many of the retailers are fabric artists producing highly-desirable, must-have objects of utter loveliness for every room of the house. Never have I desired a peg bag more, and I don't even have a clothes-line, only a clothes horse! So, I'm fitting the padlock to my wallet, and packing the extra large notepad into my bag to make a note of all the wonderful things I see to share with you all.

For those who can, do try to visit the show. It runs from today to the 16th March, but be warned Sunday is a short day ending at 3pm as opposed to 6pm. You can find out more from www.countrylivingfair.com.

That's all for now from Cheryl

Welcome to my first blog.

First I'd like to introduce myself. I'm the buyer for the Needlecrafts with Cross Stitch book club in England. I started working for Readers' Union, the book club division of David & Charles in 1985 and have worked in many departments since then. In 1998 I left for a few years but it didn't take long for me to come back.

In my future blogs I'll be telling you what's new in the world of Needlecraft.

I decided yesterday if the weather was really bad, I was going to take a personal day today. Why? I hate to drive in deep snow or on ice. My car is only a few months old and I'd like to go a little longer without bashing something. If you know you're not going to work next day, you can stay up later the night before--so I was able to do a few things. And a quiet, calm day would really do me good right now.

I actually spent the night at my mother's house. She lives just a few miles away in Loveland, Ohio. She's very able and active at 75, but I worry when this kind of storm front moves in. She's too afraid of ice to venture out on the slick walkways, so that's not a concern; but I get paranoid about power outtages and an elderly woman and her dog by themselves in a house with no heat. So I schlepped my overnight bag and my needlework project bag to my mom's before the snow started falling.

There's something so amazingly comfortable about snuggling in on a winter's night with your needlework. I'm trying to finish my first attempt at a quilted wall hanging (I know, this is cross-stitch and needlearts, but I cross genres), so I had a lovely time hand quilting the hanging. (When it's done, I'll post a photo.) I've been learning needle-turned applique and reverse applique--those along with hand quilting are very close cousins to the embroidery I love so much.

Today has been busier. I've been looking over quilting books to learn more about my job as editor, and going over one of the manuscripts I've been assigned, to work out a number of things. At some point I need to go back outside and let my car run so the ice will loosen enough to get it chipped off. Everyone else went in to work today, so I feel a little guilty taking my personal day. However, it's also been productive from a work standpoint (and on my time). It's hard to resist just plopping down in my mom's recliner and working on my wall hanging all day, ignoring the gray, frozen world outside (and the book manuscript spread all over the kitchen table). That's okay. I'll head home early in the evening, and I'll give myself the rest of the night to cuddle up on the couch, needle and thread in hand. I figure I'll have earned it!

--Nancy