A Finish and a couple of WIPs

So I'm back again.  It's the school holidays so I've actually got time to sit and compose a post!  Life is good but still manically busy but I am taking time to catch my breath this holidays and spend some quality time with the kids as well as trying to get all the jobs done that have piled up while I've been working.

Something else that's happening this holiday is that Connor turns 3 on Sunday.  Yes really.  I have no idea where the time goes as Lia will be 8 in two months and it only seems like yesterday that we discovered she'd be joining the two of us.

One good thing about the two of them growing up is that they are much more independent (especially Little Miss 'I'm just going to play in my room' LOL) so I am slowly getting a bit more crafting time again.

Anyway, the post title promises a finish and here it is:

Brrr! from Bent Creek stitched on a piece of 32ct Crystal Stellar from Picture this Plus.  He was the last of my winter stitching pieces and I've now moved on to a couple of more spring like WIPs, The Flock and Up the Garden Path.

SamSarah's The Flock - a WIP from last year that is getting some TLC.

Michael Powell's Up the Garden Path - a new start for 2013

Stanley

So I really have been stitching and here's the result.  He's Stanley by The Trilogy stitched using the recommended floss but on a piece of sparkly Picture this Plus (apologies, the fabric name escapes me).

I put the first few stitches in him back in November (I got the word 'singing' done) and then didn't pick him up again until a couple of weeks ago.  He was a relaticely quick stitch and very apt given the snow we had at the time.

I'm not giving myself any goals for 2013 except to enjoy crafting but I'd like to be able to have one finish a month on stitching projects.  New or WIPs I really don't mind.

Creeps in looking sheepish...

Erm so I'm still here and I'm doing ok but life turned manic shortly after my last post (yes that was August!) and it's only just starting to slow down.

A brief summary of the last four months:

1. My new job is brilliant, I absolutely love it and getting up for work is a pleasure once again.

2. My new job is knackering and I spent the first six weeks getting home, getting the kids fed and in bed and then collapsing on the sofa.

3. My new job has exposed me to the equivalent of germ warfare and I spent much if the first term (Sept to Dec) sick one way or another although I did manage to have only one day off work during that time when I had raging tonsilitis.

4. I still adore my job despite 2 and 3.

5. My kids are doing well although Connor too has gone through a lot of sickness especially over Christmas when he was extremely ill during our trip to Greece.  He has ended up with Scarlet Fever (who knew you could still get that?) but is pretty much through the worst now.  However he does weigh the same as he did seven months ago so needs some building up.

6.  Christmas was spent in Greece and was, not to put too finer point on it, dreadful.  I'm not sure when I'll have the mental strength to go back and spend time with the inlaws...

7. I have stitched and I have quilted but nowhere near as much as I like.

8. I intend to start posting here more.

9. I hope I'm not as embarassed by 8. as I am by the previous post on this blog.

10. I thank any of you out there who are still bothered about reading this!