Long awaited happy dance!

Hello folks.  It's been quite a while - I've been studying hard and managed to get through the first year of my degree ok without anything being referred.  To my amazement, I even passed both exams!  Year two is rather more intense, but I enjoyed my summer break and managed to pick up my stitching for the first time in ages.  I have to limit my stitching time as I get frequent neck/shoulder problems which seem to be exacerbated by stitching.  Nonetheless, I endured and managed to celebrate my first happy dance in a very long time!

Isn't he lovely?!  It seems such a long time ago that I started this one - 2005, so a mere 7 years to finish!  He is stitched on SMF's Shimmering Aphrodite jazlyn fabric.  I would never ever use jazlyn again - it has to be the most appalling fabric and so difficult to establish where the holes to put your needle through are.  The design incorporates more quarter stitches than I have ever stitched in my entire stitching history of 20 years, which is why I think it's taken me so long to finish.  He's one gorgeous dragon though and I love the finished design.

I'm on a mini mission (inbetween uni assignments) to rack up some more finishes, so Forest Goddess who hasn't seen the light of day for a while is currently on the Q-Snaps.  I promised myself one new start for each two finishes I achieve and as she is probably the closest to being finished of all my other WIPs, maybe I'll have the excitement of a new start soon!

I've become a bit of a baker alongside everything else and have enjoyed savouring The Great British Bake Off over the last couple of months.  I picked up a couple of the books when it finished and have poured through each and every last page.  I can't wait to try some of the recipes!  I've been on a calorie controlled diet the last two months though, so cake is off the menu for a while ;o)  I've managed to lose 21lbs so far and am hoping to keep going to lose a fair bit more.  I'd never tried calorie counting in all my years of dieting and it seems to be working for me.  I was inspired by the Hairy Bikers/Dieters programme in the summer and thought they did so well, losing 3 stone each in 3 months and considered perhaps calorie counting was worth a try.  So far, so good!

Best get back to the Q-Snaps now as Forest Goddess is shouting at me....