1000th POST - Yep, i got there!

 I can't quite believe that I have actually written and published ONE THOUSAND POSTS!!!!!!!  Woo Hoo!  So, I have quite an agenda for you today:

1. January Smalls SAL post (one week late - so sorry!)

2. Announce the winner of my Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics Giveaway

3. 2021 January Reading Challenge Update

4. 100th Post Giveaway!

So, here we go.....

1. Smalls SAL_January 2021 Update:

Mary at Mary's Thread hosts the wonderful Smalls SAL. On the last Friday of each month (I know, I know, I am a week late and have only just squeaked into the deadline for linking on her blog) we share our small stitching items that we have completed but not necessarily fully finished. Mary has a link up post on her blog so we can pop over to see everyone's work. If you click on the image below you can see the check in post on Mary's blog.

Thank you Mary for hosting this again. 

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First, I have this sweet little Christmas Ornie, which I stitched for the January JCS Christmas Ornie 2021 FB SAL which is run by dear Jo.  

It is called Poinsettia by Pinochka from the JCS Christmas Ornie Mag 2020. It is stitched on unknown white linen, I did change the design up a bit by using silver floss instead of white for the snowflakes. I hope to get myself organised and fully finish it very soon.

My second Smalls finish is this gorgeous Winter Saltbox, a freebie from Pinker n Punkin Quilting and Stitching.  If you haven't checked out Melisa's blog yet, you should - she is very talented and generous with her freebies.

Just a reminder, please click on the Smalls SAL logo below if you would like to see what everyone else stitched this month.

2. WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!

The Winner of my first giveaway of 2021 (and my first giveaway for a long time now) is ......

LCP

Congratulations LCP, however, you are a no-reply-commenter, so I hope that you see this post as I cannot email you and when I checked out your blog, you had not posted since 2012!

Please email me on kayedep@gmail.com with your snailmail address.

[Note:  If I don't hear from LCP within a week, I will redraw a winner]

3. 2021 Reading Challenge...

Well, after the excitement of beating my 2019 Reading Challenge by two books ...

I went for broke in 2020 and aimed for 175 books, which surprisingly, despite Covid and a loooong Lockdown in Melbourne, I did not achieve - I blame it on Netflix - lol!

So, this year, I am being a bit more modest in my ambitions and I am going for 165 books.  I am currently two books behind but it is early days yet and I am blaming it on my reread of The Stand by Stephen King - such a huge novel - lol!

So, this is what I have read so far this year .....

A number of the novels in the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn - very lighthearted but lots of fun!

More novels in the Joe Pickett series, these are about a Game Warden in Wyoming - a bit violent but I really like the character and reading about Wyoming.

"Crumbling world" is the first novel in a dystopian series but so badly written that I am not sure how I managed to read the whole thing so I certainly will NOT be reading anymore in the series.

A couple of books in the Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch - these I love - Magic is alive and well in London and Detective Constable Peter Grant is going to make sure that it behaves itself!

The Stand by Stephen King, a beast of a novel sizewise but so good!

I really enjoyed the Arsene Lupin novel - dated in style but fun!

Lastly, for a bit of light entertainment, I am rereading the Alex Rider series of YA novels - about a teenage "James Bond". Such fun!

What are you all reading?  I would love to know.

4. 1000TH POST GIVEAWAY

To celebrate my 1000th post on this blog, I have three designs to giveaway - you can enter for one, two or three of the - just be clear which one/s you would like.

#1. Counting Bats by Just Nan

#2 Troubled Water by Ink Circles

#3 Water Hazard by Ink Circles

Giveaway "Rules"

1. Comment on this post on Kitten Stitching to enter - please be clear that you wish to enter the giveaway and which design/s you are interested in.

2.  I will post ANYWHERE IN THE WOLRD, although I cannot guarantee how long it will take for you to get it in this Time of Covid - lol!

3. Giveaway closes at midnight, February 28 AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time)

4. Good Luck!🍀

Thanks for visiting and please don't forget to leave a comment as I do love a good chat,

hugs,