Life Got In The Way !

As the title suggests yes it has been exceptionally busy the past 10 days or so, so not even started this blog for a month and I have already not kept up to the write 3 times a week goal I set myself ! I think that when school is on holiday for 7 weeks I shall mostly be writing about what we are getting up to with a few other posts thrown in for good measure.

School finished last week. I completed a goal that I really needed to do but didn’t particularly enjoy. I stood up at the end of term assembly and co-presented gifts to the Primary 7’s that were leaving to go to grammar school. Worst nightmare I am exceptionally shy and at first I didn’t want to do it. But the more I thought about it and discussed it with friends, the more I realised it would be good for me, a step forward and each time I do it I will find it easier. In other news Little Miss recieved a 100% punctuality certificate and also a gold medal in the Commonwealth Passport initiative in Scotland for taking part in active sports. This includes her special needs club and her swimming lessons. Incredibly proud Mumma I am 🙂

We have had some good weather so we ended up at the beach several times, we have been growing butterflies and looking after one of Little Miss’s friends caterpillars when she was on holiday. Little Miss tried out Baton twirling and loved it. Her co-ordination problems didn’t seem to bother her to much as she loves moving to music whether it’s the right moves or not.

We have started the summer reading challenge at the local library. Little Miss has to read 6 books over the summer and then she will recieve a medal and a certificate in September. Thankfully she doesn’t have to actually read the books she just has to interact to them which means I can read them to her and she can still complete them 🙂

Also been working on her Brownie Booklover badge and her Brownie Adventure badge. She does Brownies through the Scottish Lones scheme as she finds it difficult being a member of an actual unit due to number of people and level of noise so this suits her perfectly. In the last year she has recieved her hostess, gardeners and cooks badges as well as a few stand alone company badges sent through the post by her leader 🙂 I find it fantastic that the badges can be slightly changed to accommodate each child’s ability. Inclusion all the way 🙂

The cross stitch progress was slow as we have been so busy but Cherish Nature is finished, the two baby gifts were not but as it happened the meet up on Friday was cancelled as friend wasn’t feeling well so got some extra time to finish. Cherish Nature went down very well indeed, it was fab seeing her open it and her reaction to it 🙂 I figured as I finished one i could start a new one !!! So started on one called Its All About The Journey. Should be a quick stitch. Will do a post with progress pics this week 🙂

So as you see a very busy week !

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Cross Stitch Me – Part 3

So these are my works in progress right now. The first is for a friend whose birthday was a couple of weeks ago I don’t get it finished in time because I was so busy but hope it will be finished and framed by tomorrow so I can give her it.

The second is a birth sampler a friend I have known since we were 5 chose for me to stitch her. Hoping it will be finished for a week tomorrow.

The third will be made into a cushion for same friend but this is a surprise for her, again next Friday to be finished by 🙂

 

  

  

  

  

 

Cross Stitch Me -Part 2

The next two photos show how I store my threads and my wee box that is always beside me ! I wind my threads round clothes pegs. I seen this idea on Pinterest and it works really well for me, I just write the code number at the top end and can put the end if the thread in the end to hold it in place. I also found that this does not give me the kink in the thread that I find when I put it on bobbins. I really don’t like working with thread that has kinks. 

My purple box once housed a necklace that I got for my birthday, but it is the perfect size for all my bits. You can see the usual, my tin for thread ends, needle case etc. There is a pencil missing from picture though. The plasters are not for if I stab myself but for the pad of my finger that I hold my needle with, if I’m doing a lot of stitching I sometimes need a wee extra bit if cushioning and this seems to work 🙂

 
  

Now the next picture is one of my favourites purely because I have tried many ways of storing my kits that I am working on. This is how I will do it from now on. Wee thin pockets 30p from supermarket holds working copy of pattern that I can cross off as I go plus Aida if it fits and a pencil case (50p) with threads from stash that are needed. Everything all contained and easy to grab 🙂

  

Cross Stitch Me – Part 1

I am definetly a crafty person at heart. I love all crafts and will try most things at least once. Without a doubt however cross stitch is my number 1. Mum taught me to cross stitch when I was a child and it has stuck with me and I have done bits here and there. It is only in the last 2 years though that I have become “serious” about it. 

I have found it helps me when slimming, obviously I need to keep my hands clean when working on a piece so this means no snacking. So if I find myself peckish I pick up my stitching instead of a penguin (remember that advert p-p-p-pick up a penguin ?!!!)

I thought I would show you my set up and how I keep all my bits and pieces organised 🙂 Quite long this one, so I am going to split it into three separate posts. Mainly because I can’t seem to upload all my pics on one post, blog newbie here but I’m guessing it’s because they are too big !!!

This first picture shows how I store all my supplies. I don’t have much storage room in my house (read 1 hall cupboard and no loft !) so I tend to use boxes like these ones. The bottom box has all my threads. I will show you further on how I sort my threads. Middle box is all my started projects plus ones I haven’t started but have all kitted up ready to go when the time comes. The top box holds everything else including extra folders for kitting up, frames, Aida and a couple of boxes of threads that I need to sort through. I recieved these boxes of threads from 2 different sources but they both have the same problem, wound threads but no numbers ! I don’t have time to go through these at the moment so in the top box they stay until some spare time arrives ! 

  

My mum and I had loads of magazines but with no place to store them, we extracted the patterns we wanted and now store them in these arch leaver binders. I have 4 binders now and the rest of the magazines with charts we didn’t want went to the charity shop.

  
I have this absolutely beautiful bag that I keep the pieces that I am working on at the moment together in. I just love the fabric it is made with.

 
  

Mummy Me

So as I said I want to figure out who I am take time examining each area of my life. My one and most important job to me is being Mumma to Little Miss.  

Little Miss

Little Miss is 9 and has special needs. She has Global Developmental Delay.  This means that she is delayed in most areas of development. She is a 4-5 year old in a 9 year old body. Plus it doesn’t help that she is wearing 12 year old clothes as she is so tall for her age, so people who do not know her very well or strangers when we are out expect a lot more from her than a 9 year old. 
She has frequent melt downs, likes routine, doesn’t sleep at night, sensitivity to noise and dark, needs speech therapy and has some health problems to name a few things. Now you may think that this is an awful situation for both her and I to deal with and yes I agree on her bad days it is super hard work for us both physically and emotionally and with night times always bad it can be very difficult. 

However Little Miss is one of the friendliest little girls you will ever meet, she loves to try and help even though she finds it difficult. She smiles so much and always has a hug to offer. The women in church love seeing her every Sunday and she loves helping to hand out the hymn books as people come in.

She loves arts and crafts and has been working on her own cross stitch with help from me for nearly 2 years, she loves it so much. She loves being read to and loves everything Disney and in particular Frozen at the moment is what she is fixated on.

 Little Miss’s cross stitch eventually it will be a bag, which I will sew together for her.  
 Tea pot she decorated

She is the apple of my eye and changed my life in one of the most beautiful and most spectacular ways. I always worry that I am not the best Mum I can be and constantly trying to find ways to improve but I need to learn to accept that I am exactly what she needs to her I am just Mumma. She doesn’t see me as my weight or my insecurities to her I am just her Mum pure and simple. 🙂 

Operation Beautiful

So today is a busy day, with the local gala being on at one of the local schools. I took this as the perfect opportunity to spread some love ! Participating in Operation Beautiful is one of the items on my Day Zero List and I thought this would be the perfect day to start.

If you have never heard of Operation Beautiful pop over to www.operationbeautiful.com and read how it works. The idea is to spread love on post it notes to boost self esteem and confidence. Write what you want on the post it note and leave in a public place. 

  
I’ve already left the one written in red in the local supermarket, and plan on leaving the other 3 around the gala today. I have also written one and posted to a friend, which I’m guessing she will work out its from me because of the writing but I thought she would appreciate it.

 
I would absolutely love to see people’s reactions when they find the little notes but I’m sure as I continue with this I will hear about it, our town is not exactly the biggest !!! I just love the idea of bringing joy and cheer and you never know it may be exactly what the person finding that particular note needed to read that day 🙂

The Basics

I am many things I am Mum to a beautiful 9 year old daughter with special needs.

I am slightly addicted to cross stitch and love to try various different types of crafts that I come across, I love to read, I love music.

I am very unorganised and a bit of a hoarder. I think this is one of the main things that keep me from progressing I mean how can I be organised in other areas of life if I don’t have an organised functioning home. Mental note summer project – start decluttering.

I am trying to explore my faith more but that is very much a personal journey that I am not completely comfortable with sharing just yet. I love quotes, sayings and words. I love Pinterest. I love tea but only baby tea, very weak lots of milk and it has to be piping hot.

I love purple – I had a ceilidh for my 30th it was purple themed. I love owls and sunsets. 

I am on a weight loss journey, it will be long, it will be hard, but It will be worth it. 

I am lots of little things and definitely individual.

I started a day zero project last year and have done hardly anything on it, so I have decided I am going to start doing it properly and document it here as I go along.

I have very few close friends but do you know what I like it that way, I know each of them well and they know me flaws and all, I don’t have to pretend when I am with them to be someone I’m not, it’s very refreshing to not have to wear a mask when I am with them.

Hello

So I have never really had a blog before and by that I mean I had one when everyone was starting blogs and gave up after a week. The main reason for this is because I don’t feel as though I have anything interesting to say. I have realised I don’t care –  this is for me, If I happen to get followers along the way then great absolutely fantastic if I don’t then that’s fantastic too, this is just a way to organise my thoughts.

I turned 30 last month and it occurred to me I have no idea who I am. I have many faces depending on the company I am in but at this present moment I don’t know if any of them are the “real me”. I am going to spend the next few months writing about what interests me, my hobbies etc and see if I can come up with any sort of answers 🙂