Terrific Tuesday!

Well - I'm not sure it is terrific, just pretty normal ... but Terrific is the only thing I could think of to put with Tuesday :)

Here is an update on Love and Wisdom - I'm not quite where I want to be ... but not too far off, hopefully today will be another good stitching day and I'll catch up.

(just used Blogger to upload the image, don't know why I've never tried that before - I usually load WIP's into a Picturetrail account, then copy paste the link ... it's MUCH easier doing it straight from the camera ... maybe you will get daily updates now! LOL)

I'm working on being organised and not letting soccer take over my life this week - last week I was mentally and physically exhausted to the point of nearly being in tears most of the time. This week is definitely a new week - I'm only working a couple of hours each morning, making sure I get a house "goal" (I cleaned the fridge yesterday) done every day ... and making sure I have time to stitch. It's only Tuesday, but I already feel so much better :)

Table 0f equivalents - "One machine can do the work of 50 ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man."

Monday Morning

Start of a new week, start of a "try to be a daily blogger" kick ;)

... and even a daily update on Love and Wisdom, why do I always put DT's off - I just love stitching their charts ... all those speciality stitches are always so much fun to stitch!

Didn't quite finish the section I wanted to - something to do with little birthday parties to go to ... with a 4yo who doesn't want to be left by herself! I'm hoping for a good stitching day today though - need to do some soccer work (as usual), housework and then I'm planning to stitch, stitch and stitch!

Lunch Logic - If I were given the choice between my heart's desire and a cheese sandwich, I would definitely choose the cheese sandwich. After all, nothing's better than your heart's desire, and a cheese sandwich is better than nothing.

Sunday Smile

Catch that Smile

We can all get more out of our lives if we avoid building unnecessary fences - work and play belong to the same world, and the possibilities for laughter lie equally within each of them.

March Re-Cap/April Goals

It does the soul good to look back on the goals and what has been stitched in the past month, I've been so busy - but I've also pretty much kept up with what I wanted to do ... I wrote in my March Goal post that I thought I was being pretty optimistic, but I did okay! (mental pat on the back from me, to me)

March Goals

1. Finish October Sky Sampler - Yes!
2. Two Ornaments (SAL + one other) - Yes!
3. Finish Mirabilia RR and send off. - Yes!
4. Finish Toy Shop (old UFO) - Yes!
5. Finish Celtic Summer - not quite, should this month though.
6. 2 ebay pieces - just one (that sold yesterday :))
7. Stick to rotation. - pretty much, lost the plot at the end of the month.

April Goals

1. Finish DT - Love and Wisdom
2. NZ Ornament SAL
3. 1 More Ornament
4. Mirabilia RR and send off
5. Finish Celtic Summer
6. Restart Faery Tales
7. 1 other Ebay Piece

Optimistic again ... but that makes it fun :)

I've put my planned rotation as well as the goals on my sidebar ... one day I'll get time to work out how to make them look right on there too!

Catching up

I can't believe it's nearly been another week! I've had a hellishly busy week this week, I'm usually pretty mild and placid, but I sent a couple of grouchy emails to people, and was particularly grouchy to the bar manager of the club yesterday (after urgently needing some cash on Thursday night and ringing me about it Thursday morning, then as I dropped it off to him, telling me he needed another cheque by the next day ... which I did organise then rushed off to work and forgot about - so he was ringing at 7.30am yesterday asking about it - and grumpy with me because I hadn't got it to him ... hello? maybe he should have come and collected it off me ... last straw really!).

Anyway - that's boring stuff! ... stitching updates are so much more exciting :) I've had a bit of can't settle week - directly related to being stressed and having too much to do no doubt! I did do a bit on Celtic Summer - I just have the last of the right-hand border to do and the beads - she's nearly there!

I also started a needlebook/pouch thingee - can't remember the name of it ... but got bored of it after one night, I will get back to it - probably when I'm in a better mood ;)

and then on Friday when I needed to quickly grab something to start at work ... and couldn't be bothered with my usual WIP's - I started DT's Love and Wisdom. I'm going to sell this on ebay - but with a twist ... I'm doing it in silks and on linen and am going to try to get a really good sale for it - if I don't I'll keep it. DH and I celebrate 20yrs since our first date next month and I really really want us to go away for a weekend (we both need it!) - we can't afford it, so I want this to sell for enough to pay or accommodation ... if it doesn't, I'll keep it as a celebration of 20yrs ... fate will decide :D (yeah - I'm slightly warped, but it keeps life interesting! LOL).

Now in even more warped me stuff ... I've worked out that there are 7 repeats on the downward border, that's one repeat per day to get it stitched in a week ... do you think I can do it?

Here it is so far -

I've been given a great book called 1001 smiles ... I'm going to try and post a smile every day. So if I haven't got time to update my blog daily, at least I can make everyone smile ... and remind myself to.

New Leotards!

Not for me, sheesh - I wish I looked that good in one though! LOL

I spent yesterday and part of today making the girls much needed new leotards - the couple I made Rhiannon a couple of years ago were getting way too small (indecently small!) ... of course Charlotte wore hers to gym today, and the coach was quick to point out (yep, she's like that - but I've got used to her) that Rhiannon shouldn't wear a skirted leotard for her gym because you can't see how flat and tight the tummy and bum is ... important when they mark them in a competition - sheesh!

Who's the model and who's the "I don't want my photo taken"?



and the upside down versions!

Yeah - I missed her head - it's hard to get that timing right AND frame on a digital camera! LOL

and Rhiannon being more sensible went over the grass, rather than staying on the concrete to do the upside down thing, very sensible - as a good mother, I should have thought of that when Charlotte was doing hers! Whoops!

Okay - off to bed ... I've been stitching Celtic Summer tonight and have nearly, nearly finished the main stitching on the dress - I should tomorrow, then maybe get the bottom gold edges done THEN the border ... THEN the beads ... and it will be finished! (maybe not tomorrow, or this month though ;))

Mirabilia RR and Birdhouses

I finally finished my RR section of the Mirabilia RR - with a few days to spare!

Here is my section - "Fire"

and here is the whole thing -

and because I only had a few minutes to find something to bring to work to stitch, "just in case" I finished the RR - I picked up Shepherd's Bush Birdhouse needleroll that I've had in my stash forever - I finished off all the stitching last night, I'll machine stitch it into a tube later when I have the sewing machine out.

I must say I was a bit disappointed with the kit itself and it's instructions, I have great respect for SB and was surprised at some of the errors - one band said to start one thread in, so you finished it one thread in at the other end, so I did - got to the end to find I was one thread out, it needed to be started in line - not one thread in at all. The ribbon is completely different to the photographed pictures, I suppose they run out over time and can't get the original, but the kitted one wasn't nearly as nice and actually needed the instructions altered for the bead placement, and lastly the "brown" beads are more of a rose colour - and it looks okay I guess, but sunflowers don't usually have purple middles - I dunno I expected more from them ... or maybe I was just grumpy! LOL

Anyway - here it is -

I really have to dig out the leotard patterns today and hope that I've got a big enough size to make Rhiannon a couple of new ones - she must have grown!

Toy Shop Finished!

Another very old WIP crossed off my list ... well, actually, I've never written a list - I kind of find them in my drawer and think hmmmmmm that's right, I'd forgotten about that piece LOL.

Anyway - here it is -

The Toy Shop - Patricia Andrle
From Cross Stitch & Needlework - December 1996
Started sometime in 2002 (I think), finished 21 March 2006

and a close up of the window -

As usual - I have no idea when I'll finally get it framed, but when I do - I have no idea where I'll put it, it just doesn't really "fit" anywhere in the house, not that I have a particular theme or design for the house, but this one just doesn't have an instant home ... but I love it, so I'm sure I'd find somewhere.

I am SO close to finally finishing the Mirabilia RR piece, I would have at work last night but David went to Edgefest (a concert thing - lots of bands and horrible teenagers), and I arranged to pick him and some friends up when it was finished and drove them home, so I ended up leaving a bit earlier than normal - normally I would have definitely finished those last few stitches! Hopefully I'll have a picture of it to put here tomorrow, I will be very pleased to have that done and gone, it seems to have taken a lot of time and effort to get it stitched.

Next up I have to stitch a teacup for a RR I finished up quite a while ago, but this lady's one went missing so she has sent around a replacement - I might try and get onto that today. I'm hoping to have the weekend reasonably free so that I can get on and try to finish Celtic Summer before the end of March ... no pressure, really, just in my head LOL

There's a picture of the latest Mirabilia out too - Bliss Fairy - another one to go on my "I love and have to stitch" list ... sheesh, she needs to slow down, or something, there is no way I can keep up with her lovely designs! ... but then again I've been looking and watching for the past week or so waiting in anticipation for the next one that I knew must be coming out soon! Us stitchers are a strange, nutty breed (or is it just me?).

Thank you, as always, for all the lovely comments ... and happy stitchie weekend to you all :)

Well, Here I am!

at last! Gosh - it's been over a week. Life really got busy last week, which is what I expected, but it just seemed extra exhausting this year. Soccer registrations DID go well - but totally shattered me, starting with sitting at the clubrooms signing people up, taking money etc etc from 9-3 both Saturday and Sunday - we had 500 children sign up over that weekend, and never stopped the whole time, from there I spent Sunday and Monday typing and updating them all in the database - finally sent off the team lists to each grade co-ordinator at 1.00am Tuesday morning ... along with the reports, agenda etc I needed to send off to the Cricket Assn Mgmt Committee for our meeting that Tuesday night. Of course it hasn't stopped all week, lots of phone calls from late registers, changes, etc etc etc.

Tonight is the first night I'll be at home for evening, and hopefully in bed before midnight!

I have stitched, off and on, when I have had time to sit I've had trouble concentrating because I've been pretty sleepy.

I'm sure I had other news and things to talk about, but I've forgotten them all ... so I'll show you a couple of stitching pictures instead :)

The Toy Shop "Top" all finished - I'm working on the over one cross-stitched toys that goes behind this piece - maybe, maybe I'll get it finished tonight.

Wild Rose - Amaryllis Artworks

Finished 15 March 2006 - stitched on a Kiwi Sparkles

I've kind of lost track of my March rotation - I'll probably actually do pretty well considering I've been so busy - but over the next week I have two RR's I definitely have to finish and send off. Really though I'd like to be finishing Celtic Summer!

I'm thinking when I've finished Celtic Summer that I might start Mirabilia's Star Gazer, it should be the Mermaids ... but Star Gazer is calling louder. I ordered the chart and beads from Stitching Bits and Bobs latest sale ... naughty naughty me ... although it is the first bit of stash I've ordered since the beginning of the year!

Just got a call from the Cricket Assn chairman asking for some financial details to be put together - ha! so much for a quieter week.

Hi-ho, Hi-ho it's off to do some work I go ...

Anne wins the prize!

For most useful hint :) ... Thanks Anne - sorry, no prize - but I'll definitely think about tacking a piece of muslin or something to the side of that piece so I can keep it in the Q-Snaps.

Stitching Updates

Celtic Summer (I finished the front green part of her dress!)

The Toy Shop - a very old UFO that I'm going to try and finish this month :) This is the front of the shop, a separate piece of fabric has one over one stitching that goes behind the windows. I finished the door and some vines on Monday night.

and a wee bit more on the RR -

Charlotte Funny's

This kid's brain just never stops! We're driving out of our place yesterday ...

"Mummy - did you know the lady next door is the same as the lady who framed your knitting?"

(knitting - hee hee, she does mean stitching ;))

"eh? are they? what do you mean?" (she had me stumped).

"They've got the same name."

"They have?"

"Yesssss"

(then I click) "Oh, yes they have - how did you know that?"

"I heard Kath call the framing lady Joy, and Daddy know's the lady next door is Joyce - see they're the same!".

Well ... not exactly the same ... but firstly, I had no idea she was listening so hard that she'd even notice Joy's name, and secondly - why on earth would she care or think of it anyway? LOL

... then two minutes later ...

"Mummy - did you know that when you blink your eyes close"

"Yep"

"So you shouldn't blink when you're driving because you won't be able to see where you're going."

ROTFLOL - I suppose she's right ... and I've got to wonder whether she was watching me very intently to make sure I wasn't blinking! LOL

Excitement of my Day, Week, Year ...

I ordered not one new lounge suite this morning, but TWO! We've been using an old brown one for the last 10 years, that I got when my grandfather died "to do us until we could afford a new one" ... well, we still can't afford a new one, but it is falling apart and I've been waiting for the next interest free, no deposit good deal to come along - and it did. One suite is a 2.5 seater, plus 2 seater - not quite big enough for us, so I ordered two, we will use one of the bigger couches for the front room and the three in the main lounge ... it's going to take five weeks to arrive, but I'm very excited! The fabric is a textured kind of thing, called Marine :)

Fun Sporting Administration

This weekend is our big registration weekend - so my head is full of everything I need to remember - forms, newsletter, people to run shifts etc etc ... I'll be glad when it's over. Not to mention it will seriously cut into my stitching time!

Very slow WIP

Mirabilia - Deco Spirits - Fire

This is for the Mirabilia RR I'm involved in - I can't believe how long it is taking to stitch! This is after a weekend's work ... and I stitched a lot this weekend, all of Saturday evening, and then most of yesterday afternoon and all evening again. It wasn't helped by having to stitch it in-hand (I didn't crop the side so you could see how close to the edge it is) ... it started moving faster last night when I was able to put it in my smallest Q-snaps and stitch how I usually do ... in-hand wasn't so bad - just slower, which is frustrating for me!

It will look great all finished, and it IS within the size limits - so this isn't a complaint at all ... just a frustration, because I have so many other things to stitch LOL (oh, and I'm impatient ;))

I think I'll work on it in the afternoons and stick to my rotation in the evenings ... just to keep me happy.

I've had one of those wonderful mornings this morning where everything has gone right and I'm feeling very efficient - I washed the floors, dusted and hung two loads of washing out - and then caught up on Soccer minutes and the posted in registrations - so I'm all up-to-date with those too. All going well I'll catch up on cricket work tomorrow morning and maybe start tackling our very cluttered (read - dumping ground) bedroom, a job I've been "going" to do since the beginning of this year.

This afternoon it's gym for Charlotte, plus I'm looking a friends two boys - a couple of cricket training/practices after school ... and two loads of washing to take OFF the line and fold and put away.

... and Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy to stitch to this evening - life isn't too bad at all :)

Sunday Morning

Ahhhhhh ... that is a contented sigh - a Sunday with pretty much an empty day, got to enjoy the moment because the next couple of weeks will be a lot different! LOL

Cameron has gone off to run in some local race - they have it every year and we usually forget about it - but he was very keen to do it, I think they go into school groups or something, I don't really know. DH has taken him, so they can tell me all when they get home.

We've had a definite touch of winter here over the last couple of days ... all the cuddly blankets were out last night to keep everyone warm! Cricket was cancelled for the morning ... I don't think we even really ventured out of the house yesterday.

What to do with a bonus free day? After I'd tidied up my Picturetrail albums I went to work on finally making a Tote Tray Bag for Charlotte ... an idea that has been brewing for a while, I've been using a plastic shopping bag to carry her tote tray in and knew there had to be something different I could do. The tote tray is a plastic box/tray kind of thing - they put their spare clothes, lunch box etc etc in it and then it slots into ready made shelves at the kindy.

Anyway, here it is - one Tote Tray Bag ... modelled by Rhiannon because Charlotte was still asleep :)

and a close up of her name -

and today, it's back to stitching on my Mirabilia RR, I have a feeling I was too optimistic about only allowing 3-4 days for it in my March rotation plans *sigh*.

Stitching Update

I just spent at least an hour moving photos from Picturetrail into new albums etc etc ... all to avoid paying the bigger update on my premium account ... which was very close to being deleted *phew* - hopefully I've got it working out okay and I don't have anything disappear!

Soooo instead of a nice long blogging entry (which I was going to do ... but then remembered the photos ... and well, you know how we get sidetracked!) - we'll just do a very quick picture update :)

Christmas Britty Kitty

JCS Ornament Mag - 2005

Stitched on 28ct Evenweave - over one

October Sky Sampler - Elizabeth Designs

Stitched on 28ct Misty Blue Evenweave

(I'm still missing about 8 beads on this one - I'll put them on when I get near a shop to buy them!).

And lastly - a black blob update of Faery Tales!

Removed to get side-bar right!

February Re-Cap/March Goals

February Recap

1. Finish Rose Arbour - Yes!
2. 3 Ebay pieces - not sure what yet - did 2 (the LHN pieces)
3. Finish October Sky Sampler - nearly
4. Finish 2 Ornament RRs and send them off - Yes (ended up being 3)
5. Finish Mirabilia RR and send off - Yes
6. Finish SAL Ornament - Yes
7. THIS month - stick to rotation plans - mostly, enough to keep me proud and happy LOL

March Rotation

Week One 1/3-5/3
Wed - Ornament SAL/October Sky Sampler
Thurs - October Sky Sampler
Fri - October Sky Sampler/Mirabilia RR
Sat - Mirabilia RR
Sun - Mirabilia RR

Week Two 6/3-12/3
Mon - Toy Shop
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - Mirabilia RR/Toy Shop
Thurs - Ornament
Fri - Ornament/Toy Shop
Sat - Toy Shop
Sun - Faery Tales

Week Three 13/3-19/3
Mon - Toy Shop
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - Ebay
Thurs - Ebay
Fri - Ebay
Sat - Toy Shop
Sun - Faery Tales

Week Four 20/3-26/3
Mon - Ebay
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - Ebay
Thurs - Celtic Summer
Fri - Celtic Summer
Sat - Toy Shop/Celtic Summer
Sun - Toy Shop/Celtic Summer

Week Five - 27/3-31/3
Mon - Celtic Summer
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - CS/TS - or whatever I like
Thurs - CS/TS - or whatever I like
Fri - CS/TS - or whatever I like

March Goals

1. Finish October Sky Sampler
2. Two Ornaments (SAL + one other)
3. Finish Mirabilia RR and send off.
4. Finish Toy Shop (old UFO)
5. Finish Celtic Summer
6. 2 ebay pieces
7. Stick to rotation.

I'm probably being wayyyyy too optimistic this month, as it's also soccer registration month which involves putting in 600 players into the database PLUS the banking, organising that goes with it! ... but I'm hoping for some quiet evenings that I get to stitch too - I'll need them to keep my sanity intact.

Bits and Pieces

I wish I could think of more exciting titles! But today, I really do have lots of bits and pieces to let escape out of my head ... now to remember them all.

I hope no-one thought I was serious in my last post about strangling my daughter - she is difficult sometimes, but the cuteness makes up for it ... I'd never hurt her!

Okay ... first up ... just for all you catlovers out there (I pretend I'm not, but maybe I've got a wee little soft spot ... maybe ...)

I must be the only person that has switching channel wars with the cat! Maisie insisted on sitting on top of the cable box ... me being the softie (whoops - let that one out of the bag) I am - didn't throw her off, but got the remote to change the channel back after every time she sat too hard on one of the numbers!

From animals to children ...

I am so cross with the High School, and am trying to think of the best way to compain to them - whether it's better to have a quiet chat, write an official complaint letter or what ... here's what happened ...

On Saturday David (14.5yo) hurt his back playing cricket, pretty sure it is pulled muscle down the side, the poor boy could hardly move, he was okay if he was still, but getting in and out of chairs or bed or moving suddenly was obviously very painful. The High School had Athletics Day yesterday - I said to him that maybe he should stay at home, he said no - he wanted to go and watch his mates but could I write him a note so he didn't actually have to participate. Which I did.

He came home yesterday in a right mood, turns out if you don't bring your PE gear you are automatically put in a fenced off section in the middle of the grounds, away from everyone else, where you can't even see all the events properly ... basically treated like animals. On top of that, in his words so excuse all racist implied comments ;), "I had to sit all day with a bunch of dumb Maoris who thought it was really funny to call me fatty all day" ... I am really wild, this is my boy who HAS struggled with his weight but over the summer has been going to the gym five days a week, started jogging, all to get his fitness to a point where he can try out for the top soccer team ... he. does. not. need. that. sort. of. crap.

So, you genuinely injure yourself, where the injury would get worse if he'd participated, make a very responsible decision to go to school anyway to support your friends and get treated like an animal? ohhhh I am cross.

BTW - his back is getting lots better, and I imagine will recover before the rest of the week.

... and from Children to Stitching ...

Here is the latest progress picture of Celtic Summer - I had a lovely stitching evening last night, Mondays have suddenly become hopeless with gym in the afternoon, then more often than not various meetings in the evening - so I might have to switch this one to a Tuesday night now I've finished Rose Arbour - Tuesdays are usually one of my more productive days :)

I also picked up Faery Tales for the first time in at least a month on Sunday - but it's still a small black blob, so not really worth taking a picture of.

Here is a picture of Rhiannon's very slow WIP - I can't believe how filthy it is! Those little 7yo fingers must get very grubby, I need to start training her to wash her hands before she stitches! She picks it up spasmodically - but is doing really well - I help guide her in the right direction as to what crosses to do, and start her off - but she does the rest by herself now ... it is a picture from an English Magazine - can't remember off-hand what one.

Can't remember what other exciting things I was going to say - they'll come back to me, I'm sure!

Quiet Sunday Anyone?

I wish. I am about ready to strangle a couple of girls sitting behind me - the littlest one is howling that she is finished ... finished howling that is. Because I turned off the TV because they wouldn't stop bickering. Lucky DH sleeping until 9.00am because he can ignore all other noises, lucky DH watching soccer so the girls vacate that room and come and annoy me, lucky DH gone the other five days of the week, and not having to put up with that every day! Right. Vent over - sometimes you've just got to get it out ;)

...

Thank you for ALL the comments on Rose Arbour - wow! it is so nice to get so many compliments ... I love the blogging world.

...

strangling is still sounding like a good option ... deeeeep breaths ...

...

Another small finish -

Little House Needleworks - Kitty Cottage Sampler
Stitched on 27ct "Clay" evenweave

...

Today I've got the dreaded Soccer Club AGM - this is the worst part of my job, I hate speaking in front of people, and I hate being responsible for all that money - so today I get to present the accounts, a combination of both things - oh yay ... all I can say is at least by the end of the day it will be over!

...

I'm having paper thrown at me now ... more deeeeeeep breaths ...

...

and later I get to choose between stitching Faery Tales as per my written down rotation for February, or October Skye Sampler so I can finish it ... as per my February goals - oh, decisions, decisions ... maybe I'll see how the AGM goes first! LOL

...

and finally I have a little girl on my knee having a cuddle, maybe she got the message I mean business? at last? ... until next time, anyway ;)

Rose Arbour

I did it! I finished her! Wahoooooo! ... yep, I am that excited. I can't remember when I started stitching her, but I suspect during 2002, at a guess.

Rose Arbour ~ Mirabilia

Stitched on Blended Needle "Parchment" 28ct Evenweave

It's funny, when I started this I still hadn't worked out what everybody meant when they talked about starting on the vertical thread - so it is all stitched with each cross starting from the horizontal thread - gosh it is awful to stitch like that, the thread often slipped underneath the weave of the fabric (it's a pretty loose fabric anyway) and I can tell by looking at it that my crosses just don't look "right". We live and learn, and grow - for me, mostly thanks to the internet!

I'm at work right now, and it is VERY quiet, so I'm going to pop down to the carpark and get my soccer/cricket work out of the car, do some of that - and then stitch ... life is good :)

Nearly there!

I did it! I actually finished all the stitching on Rose Arbour last night ... so "just" the beads to go - hopefully I might get time this afternoon to start those, although I've got a neighbour coming around for coffee (darn it - I'd rather be stitching LOL). I was very selfish yesterday and ignored all work, house, children etc and watched the two episodes of Desperate Housewives I had taped and stitched, and then had the evening to stitch as well - gosh it felt good - I don't get enough free days to do that anymore!

I did finish something last week though - here is Season of Rest by Little House Needleworks -

and also started another one by LHN (Cat Cottage Sampler? - can't remember the name - and I'm wayyyy to far away from the other room to go check it out).

The kids are biking to school today for "Biking Week" - they bike there and then get breakfast - so *yawn* it's 7.45am and time to leave the house!

Creative Writing ... from Mr 14yo

Very, very quick post - I need to go pick up Charlotte, but just had to do a quick copy and paste of David's latest creative writing - he is so GOOD at this stuff, but mutters and moans about it - I suppose that is natural though LOL

He's doing an assignment where each written piece has different "rules" ... this one, he had to start each sentence with an adjective -

M and W N****n

Comical, friendly and sometimes a little dopey are the first three things that come to mind about my best bud MJN. Friendly is also a good way to describe M’s parents who, over the years, have welcomed me as a son. Bubbly older sister L is also a good friend of mine but not as good a friend as M’s identical twin brother, W. Unfortunately a lot of people seem to think I should have a favourite twin but there is no way I could ever choose one of them over the other because although they are twins, they both have a lot of different attributes.

Athletic, humorous and intelligent are three good ways to describe W. As friendly as M and W are, when they get together they do not get along well at all. Shattered windows, holes in walls and terrified babysitters are all consequences of the twin’s aggressive nature. Terrible fights and vicious arguments forced wary parents to split the twins up. Sadly for W, he was sent to a boarding school in Wanganui and now, because they don’t see each other as much, the twins get on like a house on fire.

Funnily, The first time I met M I didn’t like him because we were playing soccer at school and he pushed me over. Luckily I became friends with W and got to know M, now we are like triplets. Super friendly, very funny, loyal and good to be around, Michael and William are two friends I could never replace!

My family is sure putting me through the emotional wringer the last few days - in a good way though! LOL

Thank you for all the comments, again - the blogging world is fantastic :)

Might be back later with some stitchy pictures ...

LOTS of photos!

Of my sister's wedding - not stitching!

It was a gorgeous day ... lovely sunshine, happy bride and groom, happy guests ... and no disasters - what more could you ask for?

My Dad and Georgie arriving -



Georgie and John -



I love this next one, although it makes me cry everytime I look at it - Stephie is Georgie's twin and I think it was a really huge day for her, in some ways I think she should have given G away, rather than Dad - they are soooo close and it must feel like she is losing apart of herself - kwim? John was lovely (and funny) in the speeches about the two of them and obviously really understands how it will always be him, Georgie and in a funny sort of way Stephie too. Anyway, I just love the reflective look in this photo -



Georgie and Stephie



They did this wonderful "joining together" symbolic thing with sand - this is John, Georgie (hidden) and John's four daughters all putting their sand in together.



and the container afterwards -



... and some random photos :)

My biggest son (it's not often I get a good picture of him, he usually hides!) -



My niece Tracy, and Rhiannon -



Me and my girl -



My parents



... and lastly ... my framed wedding piece for them :)



Sorry about the big photos - anyone want to give me instructions on Photobucket to get them smaller? I just assumed it would be like Picturetrail where they must cut them down a bit? My Picturetrail album is just about chock-a-block ... plus I need to pay my annual fee, and I'm not sure where it's coming from ... so I thought I'd give Photobucket ago - but I'm not sure about the huge photos!

Sunday here today and I have a ton of laundry and housework to catch up on - hopefully next week will be MUCH quieter!