Is Life More Fun As A Blonde?

I guess, I'll get to find out! Today my Mum and I spent a little (well a lot actually) Mother/Daughter girlie time at my hairdresser's today! Mum got a cut and colour, and I got highlights. I have complete trust and faith in my hairdresser, Azra! It always makes her day when I let her pick the style or colour! She wouldn't even tell me what colour she was putting in until it was said and done!

I quite like it! Thanks for a great day Mum!

I've spent the rest of my evening finishing up my December ornament and trying to climb my way up the scoreboard on Bejewlled Blitz! I was too far down for my tastes!

Freebie

cGazette94

Stitched on : 40ct linen

Stitched with : DMC 115

Tomorrow I get to be part of the Christmas Parade, my Taekwon-Do school has a float. I really was hoping for at least one day at home this weekend, but I'm sure once I'm there I'll have fun!

December Goals & Photo Hunt

November Review

Stitch 1 Ornament - Yes!

Work on Tour - Yes!

December Goals

Stitch 1 Ornament

Finish Mini Cottages 6

Work on Tour

I kept my November goals very simple due to the fact that I had so many stressful things going on, and that certainly helped! I completed my goals, no problem. December's goals aren't too complicated either, but just for the sheer fact I want to finish Mini Cottages, get a huge chunk done on Tour, and the ornament I got a start on that tonight!

I feel now that all the crazy-ness that was November has all come and gone (Live & Silent Auction night I was involved in and BB testing) that my life is finally back in control! When I stepped on the scale this AM I was happy to see I'm back down 2lbs (I put on 2.5lbs last week), so I know I'm on my way back down to my goal weight. I already feel more in focus with my food choices, which is so important to get my weight back down! Tonight I had a meeting at work at 7pm so instead of heading home or just wasting a few hours I met up with Christin and we went to the gym together! Boy, did it ever feel great to get some weight training in! I haven't been to the gym since I started focusing on my Black Belt testing! Once upon a time, you never would of heard me say "boy I missed the gym!"

Now for the fun part, Photo Hunt! This theme is "Painted", the one picture that popped into my mind was this one that I took at the end of the summer in Montreal. We were walking around in the Old Port and in an alley of artists and artisans I came across the gentleman working on his paintings. I just had to photograph him, he had so much character!

Wooo Hoo! Stitching!

Tonight I felt a little too battered and bruised to go into Taekwon-Do for class, also tired, and I had a migraine coming on. So it was nap time when I got home! I did also take advantage of the evening at home to stitch.

This evening I decided to work on Michael Powell's Mini Cottages 6, I've stitched one Michael Powell a year for the last few years. Since tomorrow is December, I guess I'd better focus on this piece!

Here's where it stands as of tonight.

Thank you to everyone who left me comments of congratulations! That means a lot to me, and for many of you to recognize how much work went into the testing process!

I Am Now a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwon-Do!

It was a long, grueling two hours today! Testing for black belts was myself (going for a 3rd Dan promotion) and Danielle (going for her 1st Degree Black Belt), so it was the test of the Danielles! Danielle is now 13 and she started Takewon-Do at age 8, and at that time while I was still teaching, she was actually one of my students. So, today I was so proud and happy to be standing next to her testing. Since the testing was just the two of us the head instructor of Almonte Taekwon-Do definitely put us through our paces with little rest time in between!

I've got a lot of pictures to share with you of the whole process. Todd was fantastic and played camera man for me today, however because he was in my self-defense skit there's no pictures of that portion of the test. Also he didn't take any pictures of the pattern portion, which was a good thing, since I had several brain farts and had trouble with the diagram on two of my patterns... which I put down to nerves!

Here's Danielle and I prior to the test, all nervous smiles but happy to be finally getting this done and over with!

Getting my head shot done for my Black Belt Status Card which will come from Vienna along with my Certificate (I.T.F. HQ) in a few months.

Bowing in to start the testing


Kicks on the shields and paddles (Jason my good TKD buddy for YEARS was holding for me)


Step and model sparring with Paige, she's like a little sister to me, we have too much fun in class together!

Don't 'ya just love the expression on Paige's face when I used a finger tip thrust to the armpit! Priceless! That one should go in the yearbook... she goes to the school I work at.

Here I am annihilating the poor girl!

Here's Danielle doing her 1 step sparring with Amber, lucky girl for colour belts its all scripted for you. For black belts you're making them up (I had to make up 9 one steps, 5 model sparrings). Fingers crossed if Amber works hard she'll be going for her 1st Degree Black Belt at the beginning of the summer.

Danielle performing self defense on Richard (he's testing for his Red Belt next weekend!)

Next it was onto the free sparring, first I was up against Paige, who rocks at sparring! I sware this girl has no fear and kicks my butt every time (this is my least favourite part of TKD).

I can assure you we never leave the ring angry! There were lots of hugs today!!!

Danielle got to beat up on Bob!

Once again I got my butt kicked, this time by Jason who also rocks the sparring ring!

Then came the multiple opponents! Here's Danielle against Richard and Paige

I got to play with Richard and Bob

But since I'm testing for 3rd Degree things have to get a little harder, and Jason was also thrown into the mix... oh wait that's me being thrown!

This was my special break, four targets in the air, I only took out two.

This is what your hand looks like when you don't hit with the right knuckles! (yes that's my stitching hand)

Here's how not to break 3 boards with a downwards knifehand strike.

This is what your hand will look like afterwards (my stitching hand as well! Who cares about work or anything else, its all about the stitching!)

Two boards 360 reverse side kick

Danielle Jumping over Amber and breaking a board.

Patiently awaiting our comments and results!

Promoted! To 3rd Degree Black Belt, the head instructor putting on my new belt.

My new belt! My 2nd Dan belt was finally broken in... now I've got to soften this one up, but I'm not really complaining!

Danielle was also promoted to 1st Degree Black Belt, I'm very proud of her

Like I said lots of hugs!

Roses and hugs from our Moms (I was so happy to have both my parents and Todd's parents there today)!

The whole Almonte TKD crew who came out to help/watch! Special thanks to Todd, Peter, and Jason for help with my Self Defense skit and Paige for being me Yuki!

Pictures with our head instructor

Can't you tell we're happy??!!!

Our after picture! Can you see the relief in our eyes?

After the testing Danielle's parents had a nice little get together for anyone who wanted to come over, delicious pizza and this great cake form DQ... notice it has Danielle2 (squared) on it? How cute!

I'm tired and feeling slightly battered and now that I've got this out here in cyber space... I'm off for a long deserved nap!

Ornament Happy Dance

I had a relaxing, Taekwon-Do free day today!

I finally got caught up on visiting back to all the bloggers who have left me comments over the last few months... yeah that was a big job! I napped, went out for dinner, and stitched!

Today I managed to finish up the ornament I started earlier in the week.

Christmas Hearts

c1994 Just Nan

Stitched on : 28ct Mystery Fabric

Stitched with : DMC, blending filament, Mill Hill Beads

Oh yeah, my bag is packed, and ready to go to the Dojang tomorrow morning... well almost! Someone is going to have to get out of it first!

Photo Hunt "In Memory"

Time for another Photo Hunt! Well what else can I share when I haven't been stitching much? I actually did stitch a little bit tonight. I started a little Just Nan Freebie Christmas Ornament. Maybe this will help me feel the Christmas spirit... I certainly haven't been feeling it lately! Of course its kinda been a little hard to focus on it with everything else going on.

So onto the Photo Hunt this theme is "In Memory" and the first picture that came to mind was this one. I took this photo in August of 2008 in Keene, N.Y., I had gone for a walk down a dirt road and came across this small, old graveyard. Obviously someone was keeping a family member's memory alive, as the flag didn't look old or weather beaten.

Tonight at Taekwon-Do I spent an hour working on my one step sparring and model sparring, I had to make up 9 one steps and 5 model. Paige, my partner for a 17 year old has a wise head on her shoulders! I started blanking out, not remembering what was next. She kept reminding me that I was starting to panic and to take a deep breath. I am now mere days away from my test!

Photo Hunt "Walking"

Here's another Photo Hunt to entrain you! The theme this time is "Walking"




So here I am performing Choong-Jang at the end of September for my 2nd Degree Interim test. This technique is at the end of the pattern its a right walking stance, high punch with an open fist. Most likely I'll be performing a pattern again this Sunday.

Good news, I found out I got 9.75/10 on my written exam on Saturday! Yay! I did wayyy better than I thought I would do.