It’s been 14 days since my last entry…

Posted in Smalls SAL, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse, You Can Quote ME by

PeedoInstead of being all busy and achieving heaps while Si was away I was knee deep in cleaning as all three boys went down with this tummy bug. I copped it twice and was absolutely wiped out by Wednesday, when he came home. We had a very quiet birthday for Mase (he was six on Sunday) & have plans for his school friends party in a fortnight.

In this time I’ve missed a couple of WIP Wednesday’s (wouldn’t have mattered, I didn’t have the energy to read, let alone stitch), YCQM, a Smalls check-in and a WIPocalypse. It was my question this time around too!

So here we go:

SMALLS: I worked on the Reindeer Parade (Blitzen is coming along but I can’t find a decent photo) & a NZFB RR piece. This is Angela’s selection:

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WIPocalypse: Topic: What makes you pick up a long-abandoned UFO rather than beginning a new piece? I’m genuinely interested in catching up with the answers on the blogs this month. I tossed up on Saturday about what I should do now, in that gap between finishing Angela’s RR piece and receiving the next of the Mira RR, and I ended up picking up my second oldest WIP, the Teresa Wentzler Tapestry Cat. Poor old TC was my Christmas present to myself way back in 2005 or 2006 and I’m telling myself that I must finish this before she finishes charting Illuminata (race is on!) because otherwise how will I justify purchasing a new chart?!

I am trying to find a new leaf outline thread – the ones on the right in the image are as charted, the top one is the current thought. I just want them to be more defined – what do you think?

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YCQM: I’ve managed to be more Serene than not while Si was away, with the exception being the Screaming Teen’s night time antics. He just won’t stay in bed! I can’t tell you how many times he woke me by watching TV in the lounge which really, really wound me up. Now I’m back at work I am enjoying waking him up for a change.  And isn’t this the truth?

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A productive night

Posted in family, grateful, Project Life by

Tonight’s the first night of ten that I’m a solo parent. I’ve kind of been dreading it but in dime ways anticipating it.
Negatives: my feet are cold. There isn’t another adult to talk to/share the parenting job with. I’m lonely already.
Positives: the kids are helping (Mase hung his jacket up without prompting!). We can eat what we want (requests for corned beef. Tonight we had chicken ravioli). I feel that I have had space to be creative.

I hung some pics in the ensuite and for the first time all year, completed some PL pages. Three. Zac was so happy. Mase looked at the 2010 albums (he was nude a lot of the time. This was his own doing. Most of the time.). I got a lot of pleasure from their enjoyment. I need to keep this going and to that end, I’ve sorted the photos from Feb to June that I want to print.

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Birthday plans

Posted in family by

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This is how we woke Mase in 2012, his third birthday. I’m now in planning stages for his sixth.
Not sure when/how/theme as yet but I know we’ll have at least three parties. One for family, one for school mates and then the next day one for his team. Thinking a secret santa for that party – and a bouncy Castle, nerf & rugby league theme.
I think a pinterest session is in order…

You Can Quote Me

Posted in OLW, You Can Quote ME by

So instead of an image that links to my One Little Word, Serenity, today I’ve got an app for you stitchers out there. It’s doing wonders for my peace of mind & sanity. We all know I grasp onto that tightly! I found this quite by chance as I updated the new phone – it’s FREE and works on Android.

StashCashe

http://geekeclectic.com/stashcache/

Linda has an abundance of patience (altho I think I have now worked out the coding) and will talk you off the ledge. I can now add material and chart lists to the app and in the format I want – bonus! There are some templates and quick lists (DMC & Anchor threads) on Linda’s site & I’ve created a Kreinik #4 list to match (I like to know the colour names).  My Mill Hill list is underway (including the DMC recommendation for attaching, always good to know if you can’t find the invisible thread) and it now takes me about 3 minutes to type & load up a Mirabilia pattern to the stash. Which is very good as my order arrived from Amanda today!

Now I just have to sit down & enter the DMC, Kreinik & Mill Hill that I have in my stash, and this app will be fully functional!

WIP Wednesday

Posted in family by

Yes I know I should be stitching! I have started Angela’s piece (mixing up some threads, as per, but I’ll write them down for the next person!). A few more threads to Blitzen (not many, school holidays) but my real delay is due to NewPhoneitis.

Very contagious in my household. Si got upgraded to an S6, so I flogged his (much newer and faster than mine) S3. Unfortunately some of the apps didn’t move over during migration so I’ve been hunting them down. And finding new ones, which is the problem. What a terrible problem to have.

The kids are behaving as all good children should:
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that moment you go “oh shhhhh”

Posted in me by

I had one yesterday. After about three weeks of waking with headaches, tying my hair up before going to sleep, that indeterminable wait for it to dry – I went to the hairdresser yesterday.

And left about 2/3 of it on the floor. Cue immediate panic!

But this morning my head feels so light! Bliss to wake up to.

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sorry about the finger – new phone jitters

Getting Closer…

Posted in grateful, me by

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As I write I’ve just ticked over to 99 follows. The latest has just thanked her 10k+ so it’s a good thing I’m not journalling for kudos or glory. Splat goes the ego!

But what I would like to do is to say Thank You to everyone who has commented and joined in. Reading posts (especially craft and book posts!) is a treat & I’m grateful there are others out in blogland who are sharing their highs and lows too.

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I’m planning a giveaway at follower #111. Woo hoo!

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Today was a Good Day

Posted in family, grateful, league by

Woke up late – eep! Three degrees outside and the cars were covered in ice (I’m such a jaffa now. No more Southland blood left)

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It was about half a cm thick on the Toy Car.

Got to New Lynn and the babes were awesome. Lots of quick passes and offloads; bring at the Fox game last week must have been good inspiration

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one thing about cold mornings is the bonus of full sun for the rest of the day.

This afternoon someone pulled up injured so Bran ran the line at the Pt Chev Fox game!  Not many 15 yo would get that opportunity. I stayed to watch for a little while (Si was on the other line) then Mase, Zac and I went to Animates to fish browse.

We brought 8 guys home (& I nearly picked up another tank for the kitchen). Three Black Widow tetras and five Neons. Neons are tiny!

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Black Widow tetra; I think it looks like a Barb

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Hopefully I don’t kill these guys too soon.