Monthly Archives: February 2019

February WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, embroidery, goals, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

Hello everyone! I hope you’re well. WIPocalypse is the monthly check-in SAL hosted by Measi on her blog, and via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers! Click on the icon to the right to learn more.

My February goals:

  • Bead & FFO Genoa Santa’s NOPE but I made a small start
  • Complete stitching on Wales Santa’s NOPE & found a big mistake
  • Stitch & FFO Hello There March STITCHING COMPLETED
  • Work on Fairy Idyll YES just a little
  • Work on Shakespeare’s Fairies YES

Most of my stitching has been for the various # schoolofmagicalstitchesandliterature tasks. I brought myself a Harry Potter notebook & a wand pen (I know, it’s hard to believe I’m turning 45 this year) and started to record my goals in the one location and the counts achieved. I’ve never counted before… Much easier than using the back of receipts! I’m still so happy about the amount I achieved on Tapestry Cat (769 stitches) but I want to work on Shakespeare’s Fairies all the time. All the time. If I brought it to work I’d get nothing done! I’ve done 3201 stitches on that alone.

This month I also started Kiwi X Crossing’s 10 Cents (1253 stitches, most for an Ultimate challenge), and worked on Nantucket Rose (412 stitches), Prancer (526 stitches), Hello March (752 stitches) and a few hundred (I blocked out 1000 for another Ultimate) on Fairy Idyll.

March Goals

  • Bead & FFO Genoa Santa’s
  • Complete stitching on Wales Santa’s
  • Stitch & FFO Hello There April
  • Complete & FFO Kiwi 10 Cents
  • Complete first fairy in Shakespeare’s Fairies
  • Work on Arezzo

 

Question of the month: What do you listen to while stitching? I can listen to nothing or all the things. We watch (and play!) a lot of sport so in summer, there’s cricket and in winter, rugby and league on the TV. I watch British dramas and mysteries – Morse, Midsommer, BBC adaptations, Luther (that last only when it’s daylight), 8 Out of Ten Cats and comedies; I listen to podcasts about whatever I am currently interested in and then there’s audible books. Often I find myself listening to little boys fight, which isn’t much fun but listening to them play is.

My other question of the month is – what on earth happened to the middle of the month? I blinked and missed it!

And Stephanie, you’ll be so pleased to note I’m well in the black!

Feb-19
CF Maurader’s Map -8.05
CF We’re All Mad Here -9.51
NC Baby On The Moon -12.00
Sirithre LOTR Biscornu -5.27
KiwiXCrossing 10 Cent -5.75
O’ Holy Night Bk 1 -3.00
Hospice buys -6.00
Spotlight DMC*6 -11.40
Hello March 12.40
Fabric Sales (Lani) 35.00
Rollover + Budget $95.59
Total Available Budget $82.01

10 Things to Tell You Podcast Edition – On Are You Lonely?

Posted in goals, grateful, growing, me by

Last year in September I took part in Laura Tremaine’s Instagram challenge about 10 Things to Tell You. She’s now expanded this to a podcast (iTunes or if you’re on an android phone, I recommend the Podcast Addict app) and each week, there will be a mini challenge. This week it’s about being Lonely.

Her prompts are ARE YOU LONELY or WHEN WERE YOU LONELY? I’m not ready to talk yet about the low portions of my loneliness except to say – it passes. It has always passed. Life has always gotten better.

A few things I took from this episode:

  1. Former US Surgeon General Viveck Murthy calls loneliness an “epidemic.” You can feel lonely even when surrounded by people. Very true.
  2. I HAVE told myself a false narrative. As in, no one possibly understands what I’m going through. No one loves me. No one will miss me. This is of course a load of bollocks, but remember its ok to go thru a period of wallowing in self-pity – but also remember that you will feel better once you contact with other people. Even if it’s a smile and a thank you at the supermarket checkout.
  3. Laura says a key to connection is having a regularly scheduled thing to look forward to. I totally agree – Saturday morning bootcamp walks are always a highlight.
  4. Are online connections real? Laura’s question and my answer is YES. Totally. There will always be people who are a shadow of themselves, but there will conversely always be people who are real. Supportive.
  5. It’s about belonging. (See further reading: Brene Brown) It’s essential in relationship not only to feel loved, but to feel liked. Much. Truth.

If you want to talk or reach out, I’m here. Note that comments on this post won’t be “public” unless you specifically state that you want your comments out there. X

WIP Wednesday #240

Posted in cross stitch, family, food, goals, grateful, lavender & lace, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Project Life, scrapping challenges, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler by

20190202_195150.jpgHello everyone! I’ve been super busy this last fortnight, stitching, walking, reading, cleaning, running around after family members & I can’t wait to take a break! One highlight was a repeat dinner with the Harpur family, who brought Aurora with them. Two weeks ago she was the length of Simon’s forearm/hand – now look at her! She’s 5 weeks here.

I didn’t post last week as my pieces were all over the show as I worked away at the various #schoolofmagicalstitchesandliterature tasks. All up, this last fortnight has seen the start & finish of Hello March (500 for words), 200+ more stitches on Nantucket Rose (enabled), 600+ on Shakespeare’s Fairies (various challenges) and 700+ on Tapestry Cat (two challenges). I have just stitched more on TC in a week than I did in all of 2018. He nearly has a tail! This is a lot of stitching but with our national holiday, Waitangi Day, I got extra walking and stitching in. And market shopping. Nom nom on the Whitestone cheeses and Selash cured meats. And perfection at the Franked stall – imported, handcrafted items from Cambodia where there is a story behind the item, & it’s helping differently abled people.

I also finished my January Project Life pages. I’m choosing to do these in a 6*8 album as it’s more personal to me, not for the family. There’s some stuff that involves others (I asked Mase to fill in the Back to School card) but they won’t get this until I’m passed. Mase does look at it, but he knows if it’s hidden journaling, it’s private to me & he’s not to read it yet.

And on Sunday, Louise & I got up early and walked around the harbour on Tamaki Drive. We started at St Helliers, went up to Achilles Point & watched the sunrise and a cruise ship come into the harbour, picked up coffee at Mission Bay and eventually got collected at Royal Akarana Yacht Club. 7.2km in all of super-quality time with my girl.

Hope you all have a lovely week!

10 Things to Tell You Podcast Edition – On Reading

Posted in books by

screenshot_20180911-214351_instagramLast year in September I took part in Laura Tremaine’s Instagram challenge about 10 Things to Tell You. She’s now expanded this to a podcast (iTunes or if you’re on an android phone, I recommend the Podcast Addict app) and each week, there will be a mini challenge. This week it’s about reading, and we all know how addicted I am to books! I have my childhood favs on the shelf still and made an effort to encourage all of my children to read, & three of the four do chose to read for leisure. Mase even reads himself to sleep like I do!

WHEN DO YOU READ? All. The. Time. I don’t really stop.

HOW DO YOU READ? I read printed, electronically and thru Audible. I consider most written word to be worth having, whether it’s me reading or someone else reading it to me.

WHAT DO YOU READ? Almost anything. I don’t like horror, or sci-fi, but I will devour high fantasy (think Tolken, Eddings, McCaffrey) and love novels that have historical facts woven in (Edward Rutherford, Rosalind Laker, etc). There are some authors I will pick up, almost without prejudice to the genre that they are writing in, and if there’s a bit of humour it is even better (Nora Roberts, Rosalind James, Suzanne Enoch & the late great Georgette Heyer are examples here). I am also quite the aficionado of Sandra Boynton, Linley Dodd & Margaret Mahy.

I’d love to see your answers! Please link to your posts in my comments field x