Ever have one of those days?

That would be my day today ... really, you have to laugh!

1. Spend half an hour combing through children's hair after applying special head lice shampoo last night because one has definite eggs (couldn't see any creepy crawlies so I'm hoping I caught them early).

2. Washing machine pipe thingee flew off the taps where it is aimed in the laundry basin and aimed towards the floor instead = very flooded laundry and bathroom and = lots of wet towels to wash.

3. Put the pipe back thinking it is okay, wash towels ... and come in just as washing machine finishes it's first rinse ... to find it's popped out again and the floor is flooded, again ... but not nearly as bad as the first time ... another load of wet towels *sigh*.

4. Come home from bike ride to phone call from a parent asking about cricket, they haven't heard anything yet and registered their darling a couple of weeks ago ... find registration form, with about 20 others that were hidden behind receipted forms in a folder - I can sort of blame the Treasuer, but I should have seen them. Cricket teams have been organised and started last week (I've since got emails back from most of the coordinators to say they'd picked up most of them in the last couple of weeks anyway *phew*).

5. Go to bank to add me as a signatory for the Cricket Association, plus open a special cheque account for rep teams ... to be told I need to do it at the Levin branch where our account is held ... grrrrrrrrr ...

About that time, going back to bed and getting up and starting all over again sounded good!

BUT!

I had a good bike ride, Charlotte is being sweet, the sun is shining ... so it's not ALL bad LOL!

I spent a lovely day yesterday finishing off ornaments - a couple I'd put together and just needed cording put on, and a couple of others I needed to put together -







I'm very proud of my first attempt at a the boxed one (cripes, what are they called?) ... it took much longer than I thought - I glued the cross-stitch and all the fabric onto the individual pieces, and then sewed them together to give it a sewn look ... that sewing was hard work - anyone know of an easy and neat way of doing it? It was worth it - I think it looks pretty darn good :)

My ornament making skills are getting better and better (nice pat on the back to me) - I think these came out really well - and there were no disasters on the way with any of them!

It's nearly 3pm here - time to go stitch for a little while, and then off to the shops to pick up a few things, get dinner ready, fold the 3 loads of washing on the line and then off to the shooting wind-up for the season, I'll take the three middle kids with me and they can have a go at the fun shoot - and leave the oldest to babysit the youngest at home. DH is away again.

Enjoy your Halloween if you're in the Halloweeny part of the world :)

a Whoops ... and busy week!

I'm sure I had two whoopses ... and I was going to blog about both of them, but for the life of me I can't remember what the second was! LOL ... I know I had to frog too much of the Apache Wedding Blessing and I thought maybe that made three ... so what was the second?

Anyway, here is the first whoops ... this hangs just above our TV in the lounge ... how much do you want to bet it is the result of a ball hitting it? or maybe if all the children are innocent, it was the sliding door slamming ... I'm betting on the ball scenario ... although we have no confessors ;)



... and here is a picture on the progress of Apache Wedding Blessing, not really much to show, this isn't going to be a quick stitch, quite fiddly and bigger than I thought -



I notice Picturetrail has thumbnails now! I'm going to have to do a wee play around at some stage with my sidebar and work out how to put some WIP pictures there :)

As for a busy week, I can't really remember what I've been doing - the usual family things, I DO know it's been a really nice relaxed week, no major deadlines to stress over ... just general busyiness :) ... and it's been beautiful weather which always makes everything seem so much nicer.

We had our school's big fundraiser last night - they do a fair/fireworks display for Guy Fawkes night (which is 5th Nov, but I suppose they pick the best Saturday closest to that date). The weather held out and it seems to have gone well - I did my two hour stint at one of the stalls ... and then went home while DH took the kids to the fireworks - he offered, how could I say no? LOL

It's only a few weeks until our next run of birthdays starts, then Christmas ... it's always a couple of busy months for us - birthdays, end of school year, Christmas ... I always feel in control and then all of a sudden am overwhelmed! Charlotte is first on November 19th - she'll be four. I'm still not sure what to do party-wise for her, she doesn't really have a lot of friends (she's always been very shy and keeps to herself, and most of my friends have older children - I'm the only crazy one who kept having them a little longer LOL) ... so I'm thinking of talking to friends of ours - Lisa with five children (sound familiar? LOL) ... her two oldest are best friends with Cameron and Rhiannon and then Charlotte is between her next two - Rebecca and Corey (Corey from the photos who play together a lot) - and seeing if they want to come have a BBQ that night, being a Saturday night - we can have some cake and party food as well and call that her party. I've also got to find a "colourful scooter" ... which is what she's been telling me she wants for a few months now.

Rhiannon is next on 11th December - she'll be 7yo, I've booked at a new local party place - a fairy themed party with everything there AND supplied - all I'll have to do is send out invitations and make a cake :)

Then Cameron is the 20th of December (turning 10yo), which also happens to be the last day of school, ever since he started school we've had his party last day of school - which is usually a few days before his birthday, last day is very late this year. He wants to take a few friends to Laserforce in Wellington, then back here for the night - pretty easy too ... I feel sort of organised :)

... and once all that is over, I'll hopefully be semi-organised for Christmas somewhere inbetween!

I'm having to think about a new rotation too ... gosh the last one lasted, um, 1 week? ROTFLOL ... I really do need a good one to stick to so I get these obligation gifts out of the way, and enjoy stitching them - plus some ebay things - big son is going off to a cricket camp in December! ... and of course Celtic Summer which I didn't stitch this week because I carried on with the Santa piece (I'll take a picture soon).

Today I plan on getting my sewing machine out and finishing off some ornaments and trying one of those cute little (Eati?) bags.

Have a great day!

Couple of pictures

Firstly, progress on Baby in Hand - I started this on Friday night, and so far it's stitching up pretty fast, this is for an internet friend on my Playgroup board.

Here is the progress picture -



and here is a link to a picture of the kit

In that same ABC Stitch order, I also got the chart that I'm doing for my sister for her Wedding in February Apache Wedding Blessing I'm a bit worried about how long this is going to take me to stitch, when the chart calls for three of colours needing two skeins of floss, it makes me go eeeek! LOL - I've just dug out my fat quarter of Silkweaver's Summer Breeze that I knew I had, I think it is perfect for this chart ... so I'm also going to try and push to have it finished before the end of the December and Silkweaver's close off for their Showcase competition.

Once again, I'm going to have re-work my rotation ... I seem to do that a lot, maybe it's the fun part of stitching for me!

and here is a picture of Charlotte in her new dress, plus the little dress I made for her doll, I'm pretty impressed with myself managing to do the puffy sleeves and cuffs without mucking them up!



Thanks for looking :)

I'm off to pull out threads and play with my stitching now - I have an hour before it's time to pick up Rhiannon and Charlotte from Corey's party, and before the boys come back from cricket practice ... it's lovely and quiet here :)

I've been sewing!

... and made a pretty party dress for Charlotte - it has puffed sleeves and all, I'll try and get a picture of her in it tomorrow, I also whipped up, very quickly and roughly a little dress for her baby/cabbage patch doll in the same fabric - she thought that was pretty cool, I love how you can keep a nearly 4yo happy with such little things :)

Of course, that means I haven't stitched much the last couple of days, or worked (*shhhhhhh* I know that cricket GST form is calling, loudly!). It's a long weekend here, Monday being a public holiday, so I'll do the boring work stuff tomorrow.

My order from ABC Stitch arrived - yahooo! ... I started the birth sampler and it looks like it will be a pretty quick stitch, thank goodness. Pictures, and links tomorrow (I should be tidying the kitchen and getting dinner ready) ... I'd also ordered Mermaids of the Deep plus threads and beads ... now I just need fabric, it's going to be hard not to start that one, but I have way too many Mirabilias started and not finished ;)

Ohhhhh and talking about Mirabilia - she has a new Limited Edition kit out, and I want it, badly, more badly than I've wanted stitching stuff for a while ... I have enough in my Paypal account but I'm supposed to use that for Christmas gifts, oh, the pitfulness of it all ... I'm going to have to splurge, I'm just not sure how quite yet LOL

Okay, I really need to go get dinner etc ready ... DH will be back with the girls from the supermarket and wondering what I've been doing for the last hour!

Carol - I emailed you about Rose Arbour fabric, but it bounced back, I'll copy the email into your comments, probably later tonight :)

I hate waiting!

I put through an order with ABC Stitch over a month ago, one of the things was a Birth Sampler kit that had with the details to expect a 4-5 week wait due to ordering it in, so that's fine, I've waited patiently for those four weeks ... but about 9 days ago (I think on a Saturday so it probably wasn't sent until the US Monday) they let me know they were sending the order to me next business day ... I've been checking the post box for the last few days, hoping it will be there - I'm so impatient! LOL ... I shouldn't be - there is the birth sampler I'm doing for an internet friend in there, plus the chart for my sister for her Wedding in February, both obligation things that I'm going to have to knuckle down and stitch pretty quickly ... I should enjoy the no obligation stitching for a while! LOL

Meanwhile, I'm still pretty busy and not stitching as much as I'd like - next week should be quieter, I can't wait! I've got a couple of pictures though -

The L*K Santa I'm doing for ebay -



and the Urn I'm working on for Rose Arbour - the last couple of weeks I've managed to do most of the greenery, which isn't so bad considering I've only managed a bit of time here and there on the Tuesdays.



Today it's back to Celtic Summer for the day :) I'm planning on doing some sewing this afternoon (if I have time ... more on that later), so will probably only get a couple of hours on CS this evening, after I've been for my walk.

I had planned a nice quiet day today, some cricket cheques etc to send off after our meeting last night, and maybe some quick housework, but then the rest of the day to sew, or whatever. So what have I done? Taken Cameron to the doctor - poor thing has a fungal rash of some sort right, well, where he won't let his mother look! but he was good at letting the doctor have a look and hopefully the cream he has got will make it better, we bought some OTC stuff late last week but it just hasn't been getting better, poor thing. I've been to the empty Post Box (darn it! LOL), picked up a few groceries, taken the opportunity of having Cameron home to get his and Charlotte's hair cut ... and now it's 11.30am and half the day has gone! (of course I'm sitting here now, when I could be doing other things too LOL).

... and lastly, just because they're so cute - Charlotte and her friend Corey :)

Busy, Busy, Busy ...

Ugh, I hate it when I don't have enough time to stitch!

Firstly - thank you for all your lovely comments on my progress picture, you are right Carol I am loving Celtic Summer, but now I've put her down for one day a week, she'll be going a bit slower!

No progress pictures today - I haven't stitched a lot in the last few days at all, work has been busy, so no time to stitch there, and because I've been busy there I also haven't been able to sneak in my soccer or cricket work and are having to do that at home.

Saturday night when I should have had more time I was too tired. When I get really tired my hands get "sore" and don't work - does this happen to anyone else? They feel like I imagine restless legs feel, not sore as such, but too big and strange feeling - kwim? or not LOL

Anyway, what else have I been doing? Saturday morning I went for a bike-ride, then off to help with cricket registrations, home for lunch and then Rhiannon off to her gym competition. She did okay - "stuck" her handstand which was the biggie for her this time, didn't fall off the beam ... but did land on her bottom when she swung off the bar, I *think* her coach forgot to move the beatboard back so she knocked her heels on it as she landed and landed with a thump - instant at least 0.5 reduction :( - but the WONDERFUL thing about my girl is that she jumps up with a smile, carries on, and then skips to the next apparatus ... no head down glooms for her :)

Here is a video of her floor routine - bit small, and a bit far away, sorry!





Sunday I went into work - can't say no to weekend overtime! I ended up being there from 10am-3pm which is basically the whole day gone, I did stop at Spotlight and bought some fabric to make Charlotte a couple of dresses, I'm fast coming to the realisation that my time for making pretty dresses for the girls is running out, Rhiannon isn't interested in homemade clothes anymore :( ... and it won't be long before Charlotte is at that age too ... so pretty dresses this summer, here we come! LOL

My wonderful DH gave the house a really GOOD tidy and vacuum while I was out and about, plus caught up on all the laundry ... I'll keep him :) - it is wonderful this morning getting up to a still clean, tidy, house and knowing I can get stuck into some work without looking at the mess thinking I should be doing that!

Must be time to get moving for the day ... hopefully I'll have more progress pictures sometime this week!

I can't believe a week has gone by!

That's what happens when the kids go back to school!

Hmmmm so what has been happening in the last week? I really can't remember, so it can't have been to earth shattering.

I have a couple of pictures to share though, that has got to be good.

Firstly, my progress on Celtic Summer -

This one is much truer to the colours. She is now my Wednesday night stitch, which will hopefully work well!

and, um, remember I said I'd work on her ALL of last week, well, I got distracted with one of the Ornament RR's I'm in ... and stitched that instead. I'll make this one a link because there might be people who still want to be surprised when it comes to their turn to stitch it.

The first one in this album

I've also stitched on Sampler Gameboard and Rose Arbour this week - but there isn't really enough progress to bother showing it. I'm really hoping to finish Rose Arbour this month though - even if I take a few days and stitch solidly on it.

I've also set up another blog, really to keep a record for me, of my dieting and biking endeavour link to Dieting and Biking Kiwi (I hope that works, blogger seems to be having some issues right now). It's pretty boring really, I'm trying to keep good track of what I eat etc ... but if I think other people are looking it might keep me on track more! LOL

Kids are arriving home now, so time to go ... I need to find my next ebay thing to stitch and get that kitted and ready to go, get some soccer/cricket work ready to go, in hope that it's a quiet night at work tonight - hasn't happened for a few weeks though!

Shhhhhhh ... can you hear that?

It's QUIET! Big boy is still on his skiing holiday, middle three are all at a soccer holiday programme and littlest one is at my sister's, playing with her 2nd cousin ... oh the bliss! LOL

So very quickly, because I plan on stitching for an hour or so ... should go for my bike ride, should carry on cleaning ... but too bad ... I'm going to enjoy the quiet and stitch!

Here is an updated picture of Celtic Summer ... didn't do one after Tuesday because I hardly touched it - was busy with the kids, house etc all day, and then very busy at work that night too. Had a lovely stitching evening yesterday though and got some done.



Not sure what work will be like tonight, it's likely to be busy - there is a big project on at the moment, with lots of transcription tapes from meetings ... very boring, but someone has to do them I suppose!

Righty oh ... I'm off to stitch :)

Pictures!

Don't you love school holidays ... I've had time to write in my blog a few days in a row! Of course, I have one 11yo sulking in his bedroom, he's been holding this grudge since about 2pm yesterday ... as I have told him, this has nothing to do with the original telling off now ... it is all to do with him needing to move on - which is up to him *sigh*. I have two little girls fighting over one ball ... even though there are a few other balls they could play with. Talking about balls though ... Rhiannon's record for getting the ball into the basketball hoop is now nine in a row ... I'm beginning to think I might be dreaming about her playing soccer rather than netball! LOL

Anyway ... on to the pictures ...

America by Little House Needleworks (I love their designs, more and more all the time!)


A small RR finish - from one of the many books I've got ... I don't have a lot of Autumn patterns at all really, I found it hard to find a nice one.


and last, but definitely not least - an update on Celtic Summer, I don't think the colour is very good in this photo - it looks too bright, the fabric colour is more of a muted blue.


I might try and update CS daily this week ... I'm hoping to get lots done!

Sheesh ... now Charlotte has come in, in tears, because she wants her training wheels back on her bike, be assured - she doesn't need them, she is riding her bike like a pro ... she gets some very fixed, silly, ideas sometimes.

I think I need to take them all out to the park or something, it's a beautiful day, so I might just do that - they obviously need it!

How about an October rotation?

I'll "just" say October ... because my rotations don't seem to last long! LOL

So here goes ... I've been thinking about this :)

Week one (Mon 3/10 - Sun 9/10) - Finish RR - then Celtic Summer all week.
Next three weeks -
Monday - Drawn Thread, Gameboard Sampler
Tuesday - Rose Arbour (I should finish her this month!)
Wednesday - Celtic Summer
Thurs-Sun - ebay

Hopefully I'll get through a few pieces that way :)

I finished America yesterday, and also did lots of finishing. A few ornaments, but I can't show them yet, because they're not completely finished ... I spent the day doing all the machine sewing and glueing, I now need to do all the cording and hand-sewing to finish them off - so far, so good though :) Also finished Heffalump into a cute little hanging pillow, Charlotte loves him :)

I'm going to sit and watch last week's Desperate Housewives now and finish the RR I'm stitching - so I'm all ready to sit and vege in front of the TV with Celtic Summer tonight, I can't wait! It seems like forever since I've been home on a Monday night.

Watch out!

I've just edited this to hopefully get the clips to work!

I've finally found a way to upload video clips onto the internet :) ... I tried it out today -

Clapping Games! (did you do these as kids ... Rhiannon is crazy about them, if her and her friends aren't perched on the bars, they're clapping!).









Hopefully they'll work!

The promised shooting show-off post!

First of all - thank you for the lovely comments on my stitching, like I read on everyone elses blogs ... comments really make us happy :) ... I should also say while I'm talking about comments - I try to sit down once a week or so and make sure I leave comments where I can ... but life gets in the way - you can be assured I read, and continue to be inspired by lots of stitching blogs!

Wow - it's Saturday, and I shot on Monday ... where do the weeks go!

Monday night was our Closed Champs (as in just for our Association clubs - 3 clubs in all, rather than "Open" which is open to anybody in NZ). I really couldn't be bothered going, as you will no doubt be able to tell from my whining, life has been extra busy lately and a night at home sounded better! But, knowing that it was my last chance to catch up on my Club Champ scores, I thought I should go.

(Club Champs are just our club - total of 25 cards/targets through the season).

Sooooooo ... got there, found I needed to shoot two cards to finish off my club shoots, Roy who is the other Master grader in the club, needed to shoot one. He was 101 ahead of me ... so it was pretty close, although all he needed to do was shoot a good card and he would have beaten me. I saw his score before I went down to shoot ... he shot a 96! (not good ... and believe me, I've shot a few like that this year ;)) - so I knew to beat him, and win our club champs, I needed at least a 98 and a 99 - not easy, but do-able.

Well, guess what? I went down and shot TWO 100's *dancing dancing* ... I was pretty darn pleased with myself!

So not only did I definitely win the club champs and the Master grade - I also won the Closed Champs too (including beating my "best friend" Liz who shot two 99's, and came 2nd - no wonder she hates me LOL).

... I'm sure most of that is gobble de goop ... but it means I did GOOD :)

In other news ... I've hardly stitched at all - work has been busy, including not finishing until about midnight last night (usually finish at 9pm on a Friday night) because I was typing an incredibly boring (and urgent) meeting transcript.

I think DH is taking the kids down to the beach later so I can do some work in peace ... if I do it fast enough I'll sit with my stitching and catch up on a couple of programmes I taped last week - Desperate Housewives, and my new favourite, Afterlife - an English programme sort of like Medium - but much darker.

Hopefully I'll have a happy dance of America to show off tomorrow :)