Progress on The Astronomer and Some Sad news

I have progress!! I have only managed to stitch for one night recently,as life has got pretty busy.

But i feel i have accomplished a good amount. Some of the Milkyway? has been filled in. I managed a ton of black and can now make out another glass discy thing. (Technical right?) The small unfilled black area is the Crow!! 

Im not sure if im going to get a chance to work on this again this month. I am learning to drive and have a intense week of lessons starting this Monday. After that i will go back to doing weekend lessons so hopefully by the start of April i will be able to get a few hours in a night. I had my theory test today and failed on the Hazard perception part of it. 

Last week one of our cats passed away. We had to put him down after he became poorly a few weeks ago. The children have taken it very hard. He was very cuddly and because we dont know completely why he was poorly they are struggling to understand. My partner rescued him 3 years ago driving 3 hrs to pick him up. 10pm at night from a lady on Facebook. Not getting home till 1am. He was very poorly looked after. Fleas, Ticks and a birth defect in his jaw. His teeth was rotten and he was under weight. He slowly came to feel at home with us. Over the last year he has started cuddling anyone he could. Generally the children or guests. Covering them in cat fur haha. He was the worst cat possible. Unable to jump fences, balance, running into windows. Ect. He once set himself on fire-TWICE-in the same night! He is going to be missed. 

Just 1 more page left!

Last night i finished the 2nd to last page!

The dress part finished

Page finished

My Stitchey stalker. 

Meet our unexpected arrival....

Late last night we found out we are expecting.... a 2yr old Seal point Siamese male. His name is Smokey and his slowly settling in. Our moggie is fine with him but our Silver spotted Bengal has taken a but of a dislike to him.  

So meet Smokey :)

 

 

Just had to share this

How cute is this!!

More Kittens!!

Hi. No stitching to show, I have done some just not enough to warrant taking a photo, maybe soon J

So why has there been so little stitching. I pretty much explained in my last post baby madness has hit the house and we are trying to get everything sorted. We now have a cot so the last big thing to get sorted is a changing table which will make things easier for me. Other than that its small things and then just waiting (which is the bit I hate)

Kiki has had another litter of kittens. Four of them again and they are so cute. It looks like Simba (our male Bengal) finally worked out which way round she goes ...if you understand what I mean.... as two of the kittens have Bengal markings as his the only male Bengal who goes out in our area it’s pretty certain his now a daddy. Kiki is doing great so much better than she did last time. All kittens seem happy and healthy all are a pretty good size too which is good.

Connors pre-op went well his op is on the 26^th April so not long now. I’m mega nervous. He has also been registered at a local school and will be starting in September. The only problem to sort out now is school uniform. As his so tiny I don’t think we are going to be able to find uniform easily. Hopefully after his op he will have a growth spurt, everywhere I have looked don’t do 12-18month school trousers, not bad for a almost 4 year old.

Connor and I have finished our first adult puzzle together. It’s a 1000 pieces and only took us roughly 3 days. He really surprised me how well he worked out what piece went where. The puzzle is by Gibson I believe. It’s called “I love London” and is so funny when you look up close. Connor even found bits of it funny. Next we will be doing “I love boot fairs” it’s been so great to be able to sit down with him and do these, as I used to do them with my parents when I was growing up.

Simba's first snow

Well after my last post about pathetic snow we got a good lot! Easily a good 4-5 inches! I woke up (way over excited considering I’m 23) at 5am and spent the next 3 hours waiting rather impatiently for Connor to get up so I could go play. I woke him at 8am. I couldn’t wait any longer.

Simba loved the snow and was out pouncing for hours he eventually returned home and slept for 5 hours solid. Please excuse the background noise.

Tonight I will be starting “Yule Fairy” I have been playing about with gridding options but haven’t found anything fantastic being skint has meant I haven’t been able to try any pens other than the ones I already got.

Dreamdragons shows went very well if you ignore the pyrotechnics setting the fire alarm off on one performance.

Praying to the porcelain god....and our Xmas tree

I’m so sorry that I have been away for so long. There’s been very little stitch progress as in all honesty I have spent the last few weeks with my head down the loo.....great mental pic I know. I thought I might have had a virus as I have a lower immune system but it turns out it is “morning” sickness...yep that’s right I’m pregnant! 8 weeks preggers we are over the moon. My partner has turn't into Hitler...no joke! I have to get healthy, stop smoking, eat right, get enough sleep, and not have my bath too hot the list goes on and on.  Very over protective! Hopefully some stitching will fall back into place soon. I think I have a very pretty uterus don’t you ?

I thought I would I share a pic of our Xmas tree as everyone is showing there lovely decks. I promise it looked great before Simba got it! Xmas trees and Bengals don’t mix

Manic weekend

Hello all.....

I’m sorry for not updating yesterday like I normally do. This weekend has been manic. Saturday I was helping at drama group in the morning. In the afternoon we took a family trip to the woods. It was so much fun. Me and Connor collected different colour and shaped leaves and twigs, acorns and a stone. We took Simba with us, it was his first time in a woods. He done amazingly! Was very nervous at first but settled into it very quickly and was soon climbing trees and dragging my partner through the undergrowth.

Steve and Simba

Walking the cat

A spot of tree climbing

Early hours Sunday morning I was woken up by the doorbell ringing. It was very surreal as it took me a few minutes to work out if it was a dream or not. I stumbled downstairs trying to put my dressing gown on the wrong way round while attempting to remove the hair from my eyes. I looked through the spy hole- couldn’t see anything- thought it might of been a dream. Just as I was covering up the spy hole I saw movement. The only thing that crossed my mind is I’m gonna get murdered. My heart was racing. So instead of waking my partner up or going back to bed I opened the door- fast (hoping for the element of surprise). My partners brother was stood there 4:30 in the morning. His partner had gone into labour yay!!!  He dropped his daughter off and she settled to sleep on the sofa. I went back to bed and got a little sleep. Later in the day we did some gluing and sticking the things me and Connor had collected at the woods. Steve’s mum came over for Sunday roast. We took the kids to the park. By about 7pm I ready for bed.

Baby Skye was born weighing 7lbs 12oz. There were complications but mother and baby are doing very well and came home today.

So that’s why I don’t have a decent amount stitching to show but here it is:

Strength first 7 rows done

I have a question for you all:

Do you personalise your charts? When you’re stitching and mess up like I have done a lot on strength do you "frog" it or rip out the bad bit and start again? I quite like knowing that there are little mistakes in my work. It makes it personal to me. If it’s a big mistake I will correct it but otherwise I tend to work around them. In strength there is a whole extra row of stitches which I didn’t notice till I was half way through. I’ve frogged past it and knowing that there’s a whole row of stitches that no one else has done makes it special to me! What about you?

Just a quick one!

This is the progress on strength. I have completed four rows. There was loads of confetti stitches and its felt like it’s taken forever. I’m glad to have the first part done. In the pic it looks like its bowed little bit it’s just the way it was laying as I took the pic. It’s amazing how many different shades of green there is in there. I personally think it would look just as good with half the colours.

First four rows

The kittens have all found new homes now. And the house is just a bit too quite, I am seriously considering getting a German bearded dragon. One of my friends has it but they are not at home enough to keep it happy. I’m not sure yet but it’s got a lovely smile.

"Doris" the german bearded dragon

Joyzse the plant that the flower is from is a common spider plant. And it seems almost impossible to kill :D

I do not own this picture

i do not own this picture

( both pics taken from google)

wonderful weekend

Hello

It’s been a busy week here. The only time I managed to stitch was Friday. My son goes to nursery all day, a full day of craftiness! Doesn’t that sound like heaven? I stitched until I lost feeling in my fingers then I stitched some more. So here’s the progress on “Strength”

Before

As of Friday

It was my birthday on Saturday and I got spoilt rotten. Coffee in bed ,flowers ,amazing presents, homemade birthday cake baked by my wonderful partner who also spent a good 4 hours in the kitchen cooking a amazing Chinese for me and my parents. My partner brought me a fancy camera. My son brought me a case to keep it in. a digital photo frame from the both of them .and a mini sewing machine from my parents. Steve also got Connor the sweetest card, and put his hand prints in it.

Card from connor

Connor showing you a card

My flowers, trying to get a fancy pic of one of the cats sniffing them, this is the best i got lol

Pressie

pressie

 

The kittens are doing well and driving us mental they are into everything and now have the run of the house. They have even started to play with the cat tree

Cute kitten pic

Pic heavy update!

Not a lot of stitching has gone on I’m afraid haven’t been too well during the week, and decided instead of trying to fight it I would give in. I even came home from Dream dragons early.

So here is the progress on “strength” not much about 300 stitches of bloody dmc 364 I’m starting to hate this colour! The thing that makes me hate it even more is that I am nowhere near finished with the sodding colour. Please excuse the mess.

Dream dragons are a theatre group that I have been part of for almost 16years. A lot of my family are members are help run it. My granddad is the treasurer and the dame in most shows. My aunt and my dad are on the committee and act too. My mum managed front of house, she used to act but her health has got too bad for it now. It was the first time I had seen many of the members for a good few months so I was hoping for a catch up. I ended up in bed before the rehearsal had even finished. So feel free to have a giggle over some of the performance pics.

My dad as "Toad"

My dad again

My Aunt in the middle and my Grandad as the Dame in Aladin

The Cast in Aladin

For my birthday which is next week my wonderful, absolutely amazing partner brought me a new fancy camera. And today he had finally had enough of the nagging and let me have a play. I have no clue what half the things on there do but it’s amazing. He has rather cruelly put it away till me birthday now.

The kittens are doing well, and can even get out the linen cupboard. A couple of times I have came down to get a drink in the middle of the night and found one trying to make its great escape. Mummy cat doesn’t seem all to bothered about them wandering around the house. She is feeding them fine and cleaning them so I’m wondering if it’s just me being over protective.

Strength and Fishing

It’s been a fairly busy week. I’ve made some progress on “strength” not as much as I had hoped though. I’m thinking of doing all the DMC 645 first as there’s loads of it. It is so much bigger then I originally thought. It’s meant to be a story keep but it’s going to be too big for a normal sized book.

We went fishing on Saturday in Dover. It was the first time me or Connor had ever been. I think I can see the appeal of it. If there was no kids about I would have enjoyed it so much more. I couldn’t relax all day; I was just waiting for one of the kids to end up with a fishing hook caught somewhere. The weather was bright but not extremely hot so I was surprised to find out last night that I had sunburnt. The worse kind of sunburn, uneven- patchy on the back of my legs and shoulders. I hate summer! Me and Steve didn’t catch any fish but Steve’s brother caught a few. 3 of them he kept and the others he put back.

The White Cliffs of Dover

The kittens are doing well and have started to move all over the place. I found one in the hall way last night. They are very vocal too which we like.

Kitties

Any ideas what it could be?

Well it’s been a week. I can’t believe I have been leaving it so long. Most of this week I have been working on a piece that my dad wanted me to sow for some of his art. If you haven’t seen the guest post my dad wrote you have to check it out.

Any ideas what it could be?

Considering it was the first time I have tried to embroider I don't think it's too bad. It looked better before I tried to stuff it. In the picture the long stitch is wavy which I didn’t notice until after I took the photo, I have sorted it now.

Our adorable kittens opened there eyes yesterday. They are so cute. The small black and white one has a home ready and waiting for him already! I’ll be sad to see them go.

Cute kittens

Even cats become "Zombefied" after becoming a mum!

 

In other news:  There’s been pretty much no progress on “Strength” maybe 100 stitches if that. My herbs are pretty much dead. And I’m still finding paint in the kitchen from Connors art.

YAY PICS!!!

Well progress has been made on “Strength”. After starting the black leafy bit, I decided to do some of the green otherwise I would end up confusing myself. There’s still so much work to be done on it, but after adding the recent green bits I have, I think it’s going to stitch up quicker then I thought. I might even be able to – dare I say it – get it finished before I put the finishing touches on the baby announcement I worked on for Steve’s brother.

A kitten pic. Kiki’s kittens are now 5 days old and very very cute. Lately Kiki seems to be a little reluctant to stay with them. I don’t know if it’s because there a little older and don’t need her there constantly, or she’s lost interest in them. If it gets and worse or she stays out any longer then she already is then I will have to start bottle feeding them. Oh well waking up every two hours isn’t anything new to me, just means a little extra cross stitch time.

Next up is chives and coriander. Over the last few weeks I have had this urge to plant and grow things. Flowers, herbs, fruit , veg, trees....,..anything I want to grow it. I have never been a green fingered person, I had an herb garden while living with my parents, and it’s really overgrown now though.

This weekend me and Connor have had fun things planned. We planted the herbs pictured above. Made a sow your own hat, pictured below. Made lots of yummy cakes. Watched films had an extremely late night playing with one of his friends. And did some painting.

Painting the pig I agreed to, painting the walls, himself, the floors and my plants I did not. Oh nearly forgot painting the ceiling. Honestly I was only gone a few seconds. It took me over an hour to clean up. While I was taking the photo he said” look mum!” so proud of his artwork. Maybe he will be an artist just like his granddad!

My dad wrote a guest post for me if you missed it go check it out here