Where have I been?

Hmmm ... so where have I been? No where exciting at all LOL ... I just seemed to lose my blogging mojo, not to mention my stitching mojo. I'm settling into a whole new routine of having all the kids at school and having 9am-3pm, 5 days a week, that is basically my own. It's not that I don't have lots to do, but the whole "being on my own" is still like a special treat :) I'm actually keeping pretty busy - I'm still doing my cricket job which took up a couple of days last week, basically catching up from things I've put off over the holidays. I'm walking four mornings a week with a friend - we leave at 6.30am 3 days during the week and walk 8km, and on a Sunday morning leave at 7.30am and walk 10km. I've also just agreed to input the accounts for DH's work - I'll be doing this on a Friday before I leave for my normal job - means I'm out of the house all day, and working all day - but it's a wee bit of extra money, means I'm involved in the business (which over the next few years I think the franchise's idea is for the present owner and DH's boss to become more of a silent partner and for DH to take over more and more working up to a profit share/part ownership) - so it's good for me to be involved too :)

So, definitely still busy - but also time to craft and smell the roses which has been lovely.

Charlotte has settled into school very easily - the teacher stopped me a couple of days ago to say she is doing really well and is such a lovely, happy, open child (not sure about the "open" - probably means she's been telling her stories and our secrets! LOL). She's already moved her up a reading group, we couldn't have hoped for a better start for her.

Okay ... on to the crafting, I've been bitten by the paper-craft bug, really really badly ... I have all sorts of ideas I want to try and things I want to do - it's probably just as well we're still waiting for a nice bonus from DH's work ... I have so many things I want to buy! LOL ... I think one of the reasons I'm loving it so much is the beautiful paper/card out there - it's very like the quilting fabric thing ;) I've set myself up a table in DH's garage (much to his disgust), and it is perfect for being able to leave all my stuff out and just come and go as I please and am able.

So, on to the pictures ...

Firstly - Ashley's Roses - all FINISHED!!! I started this, I think, maybe about 2000, I know that my last progress picture before I picked her up again was January 2001 - and there wasn't a lot done. It is so nice to have a Mirabilia/bigger piece crossed off my WIP list. I've promised the two girls this one for their bedroom - just need to find the extra pennies to get it framed.

Ashleys Roses - Stitched on Sky Blue 28ct Lugana

Started approximately 2000, Finished February 2007

Then there is Sampler Gameboard, another long standing WIP - I read on a blog somewhere, sorry, I can't remember who's or where!! that there was a SAL on the 20th of each month, so I decided to join in, I hope nobody minds - let me know if it is you I am gate-crashing :) So, 20th of this month, I did indeed pull it out and spend a couple of nights doing two squares - here is where it is at now -

Lastly, a couple of the latest cards from the latest obsession! The pink one is obviously a great little girl one, Rhiannon has told me that she is not giving it to any of her friends for their birthdays because she'd be jealous that they had it and not her LOL

Oh, and I should tell you all about my adventure, so you can LAUGH at me LOL ... I decided it would be a great idea to bike to the office on Tuesday, rather than drive - the office (sports office for cricket) is in Waikanae - which is across the river from us - I live on the other side of the river, just a hop, skip and a jump walking or on a bike, but a drive up to the main highway and back down if you go by car. Sooooo I couldn't quite work out how to bike down next to the river so biked up the road once I'd crossed the walking bridge - took a while, talked to the sports person at the office and he gave me some good instructions on how to get to the "walkway" down the side of the river, mentioned there might be a couple of places I'd have to carry my bike over some rocks. Ah, yeah - found it okay, found the rocks - HUGE boulders! LOL to carry my bike across, all was going well - just as I was leaving the stony part of the track and had come to the easy biking walkway/road I realised my tyre was flat :( ... I ended up walking the I'd say about 6km, all the way home ... in the hottest part of day, with no sun screen ... I was a hot and bothered girl by the time I got home ... BUT the river is so beautiful, we - the family - just don't spend enough time appreciating the great environment we live in! I need to replace my road tyres back with some good mountain bike thick ones, and I'll go back and do it again :)

Lastly, I've had three acquaintances - SIL, woman I work with, mother from school - lose one of their parents this week, they say deaths come in threes and I'll be certainly thinking of them and their families.

WIP, a Finish and Family Chat

Linen and Lace all finished! Once I picked this up again I got quite enthused about it, and managed lots of stitching the last couple of days to get it all finished - as with all Drawn Thread charts - it is so pretty, and as always a fun stitch with the different speciality stitches. I've lost the heart somewhere - it came with the kit, and having transported this one back and forth to work a few times, I think it must have slipped out somewhere - not the end of the world, but annoying!

The Drawn Thread - Linen and Lace

Stitched on Kiwi Illusions Merino, Lugana 32ct

Started end of 2006, finished February 8, 2007

Ashley's vine of roses are finished :) ... I was a good girl and stuck to my rotation on Monday and Tuesday - which also happened to be good stitching days/evenings - and I got the top part with all the roses all finished. I might just finish this in the next couple of weeks!

Mummmm - don't be so grumpy all the time ...

... and why wouldn't I be, wouldn't you be? This is a photo taken after biggest son had come home from his couple of hours at school, then left again to meet his friends - he couldn't see the problem? Ummm your bedroom is bad enough, now you're obviously undressing as you walk into it and leaving the mess as you go? This is SUCH a typical image of him at the moment, I couldn't resist taking a snap of it ;)

Today was to be my first day of everyone back at school, the younger four went back to primary school on Wednesday, today is the first whole day for David at high school. But it's not to be, tragically, two of the school's classrooms were destroyed by fire early this morning, so primary school children all have the day off. They'd just started the year to finally having most of the building and renovation work finished at the school, including the administration block all being redone - apparently that has been damaged in the fire too. I really feel for the teachers who must have had all their resources in those classrooms - you can rebuild walls, but not notes and books.

I'll go to work an hour later (I usually leave an hour before school finishes and David Jnr babysits when they all arrive home - so I need to wait until he comes home), I think I'll take the kids to the pools for an hour or two before work, it's been pretty hot here (although not so bad today), the pools should be quite empty with all the other schools open!

Needleroll SAL this weekend - as I've been looking/sorting through all my charts etc I found a Kiwi design I'd forgotten I had - Paua Shell by Cherry Parker - I've got the speciality threads I need in with the design, so I think I will stitch that. Life is unbelievably not so busy for me right now and I'm loving the extra stitching time its giving me!

Bits and Pieces and more of Ashley

Here's Josh and his mate Maisie ... Josh is chief feeder and carer (Maisie was his 5th Birthday gift) and the cat knows it! This was the other morning, shopping day and we'd run out of cat food, so she was trying to "share" Josh's breakfast, everytime Josh put the spoon towards his mouth Maisie was trying to share it LOL

and here is the HKCA U11 Rep Team - they played well in their tournament - very tired, very long days - they played two 30 over matches a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon and it was pretty hot and muggy in Wanganui for those few days. Cameron made the honour board one day with three wickets in one of the matches which made his day :) They won about 50% of their matches. I've circled Cameron and David was manager - I circled him too - I was amazed at how alike the two of them look! I think its the glasses and cap LOL

and lastly - Ashley's Roses - I think I have stitching ADD with her - I've moved from thinking I'll just finish up the dress, to another day thinking I'll just finish up this blue gingham part ... last night I thought I might just work on the bottom greenery bit ... they all need little bits to finish them off LOL

Just a quick update this morning ...

Here is Ashley, she's holding her roses now! I can't believe how much I am loving this piece, I have no desire to put her down at all :) I'm even hoping, that maybe I can finish her before the end of January - I've made a pact with myself that I could stitch whatever I wanted in January - but come February I will settle into my "loose" rotation.

No sitting and stitching all day today though - we're off to Wanganui to watch Cameron play cricket - him and DH are staying up there with the team for a few nights (they get home Wednesday), the boys play six games over four days - one yesterday afternoon after they arrived, two today and two tomorrow, and then one Wednesday morning before they come home. Cameron apparently played well yesterday - 2/21 off 6 overs for those who know anything about cricket - against a Hamilton team who scored 143 runs to their 75 ... so I figure those bowling figures must be pretty good ;)

Happy 18th Anniversary to DH and I (yesterday) - of course, in our typical married, family fashion - DH is away playing mother to thirteen 11-12 yo boys (he's manager for Cameron's Rep team) and I enjoyed an evening free of snoring LOL

Have a good day!

Summer has finally arrived ... I apologise to anyone who is buried in snow and ice, but for those who want to see what the other side of the world is like right now ... here's a photo from yesterday - this is what summer should be about!

Here is the latest update on Ashley's Roses ... she is finally growing! I love the colours in this one, they're lovely and bright - even the leaves have a bright bluely green that all blends just nicely.

Friday already here - I've worked the last two nights so feel a bit weary, work this afternoon - and then a quiet weekend, life is good :)

White and Grey ...

That's about all I've stitched since I finished the baby sampler! But Ashley is definitely growing :) I might work on the top coloured bit this afternoon and then go back to the white and grey tonight, such hard decisions I have in life at the moment! LOL

I'm back at work tomorrow night, Rhiannon starts back at gym today, so life is starting to pick up again ... pity, I'm enjoying this summer holiday mellowness!

The girls and I will walk to the beach later this morning, the boys could come too of course, but they've got very "I don't want to" ... sobeit ... the girls and I will enjoy the sunshine and fresh air :)

More Ashley's Roses

I had a lovely stitching day yesterday - in fact, as I stopped stitching very blurry eyed at 6.00pm to get dinner ready and rush Cameron off to cricket practice, I realised I'd been stitching since 2.00 - with inbetweens of breaking arguments, feeding kids snacks etc ... but basically a wonderful four hour stint. Then later I went to Kath's house where Kath, Pat and I stitched some more - now that is what life is about LOL

Pat had organised our groups b/day gift for me - some wonderful cardmaking goodies and a VERY useful carry bag/tote just for crafting - I can see it being perfect for carrying what I need to work - thank you again ladies!

The household funny for today - I woke up this morning, looked at David's clock and it said 7.30, nothing wrong with that ... then turned over and saw my clock and it said 6.30 ... hmmmm 7.30 or 6.30? To go back to sleep, or not? of course by the time I worked out that I never fiddle with my clock, and I remember vaguely hearing David fiddle with his last night as he set the alarm, so his would be wrong ... I was very awake LOL - I laid in bed and read a while, then got up and enjoyed the quiet house before all the kids got up. I must ring David though and see if he ended up at work an hour earlier before he realised!

The sun is actually shining today so I'll do the customary couple of loads of washing and get that hung out in the fresh air! Beyond that, we have nothing planned I need to finish tidying and organising my desk, I might even give the pantry a much needed clean out and clean. Then I think I'll take advantage of the sunshine that is sure to not last long, and take the kids to the pools this afternoon. I have reached a new "time" in my life where it is actually FUN to go to the pools because I get to lie and read my book while the kids all play together in the pools - Charlotte has now got big enough where I can take my eyes off her and know she will be fine (I sound like a lazy old bat don't I? But believe me after years and years of having to be in the pool and be very self-conscious about my size, or sitting on the side heart in mouth, everytime a little one almost slipped, or tried to climb out, or whatever - this is a luxury for me!).

David and I going out for dinner and to the movies tonight - partly for my birthday, partly because we've been saying for over a year we will and never get around to it/can afford it, and partly because of a silly agreement we have with oldest son about still being paid for babysitting, even if I don't go to work - so we feel we need to make sure he earns his money!

Oh ... and Ashley Roses? I looked at the date in my Picturetrail Gallery and it says that the last picture was taken 3 January 2003 - I still can't quite believe that it has been four years since I last worked on her - time sure does fly!! I had plans of working on her pretty solidly over the next week or so, but I've remembered that I need to stitch a birth sampler for a good friend/work colleague of David's who is due this month ... I hope poor Ashley doesn't get put away for another four years!