Think This Will Help?

Okay, one of the things I've been complaining about for years is not being able to stitch at night because the reflection of the light on the TV bothers my family.  Well, I think I have finally found the solution.  Dave and I were at Ikea (I LOVE that store) on Saturday and found ourselves in the lighting section.  We weren't looking for anything in particular but I happened to see this lamp there that looked like it would solve my problem.  So somehow it found its way into our cart and into the house.  Dave assembled it and set it up next to my chair.  Guess what?  It works!  It actually works!  I can actually stitch now without the light bothering everyone else in the house.  We did keep the other light up because, as Dave said,  I do stitch at other times of the day, not just at night.  But if this works as well as I think it will, I can always use it with a pair of magnifying glasses and do away with the other light altogether.  Oh happy day!  As the guy from the A Team used to say, I love it when a plan comes together!

Stitchy Resolutions

Yes, I know I'm late with this.  I just can't seem to get it together this year yet.  Maybe cause it doesn't feel like it should be a new year yet.  Maybe my life just seems to be on fast forward and I don't know how to slow it down.  Whatever the issue is, I figure it's better late than never, right?

Now I know I said I wasn't making any resolutions but stitchy ones are different.  Perhaps I should call them goals.  Okay, what ever name you want to call them by, here they are.  I definitely want to finish the hooded bath towel I've already started for Elsie.  I also have her birth sampler to stitch.  Oh and there's her Christmas stocking I told Chris and Annette I would stitch for her.  Then there's a wedding sampler for Brian and Alisha.  That didn't seem so bad until Sherrie reminded me that I never finished her tote I was knitting and planning on felting.  And there's her college graduation sampler that she's hoping I'll stitch for her.  She apparently doesn't expect me to finish the one for high school that I stitched for her.  All it needs is a teeny tiny tassel and it's done.  So here it is, my list of stitchy resolutions for 2013:

Elsie's bath towel
Elsie's birth sampler
Elsie's stocking
Brian & Alisha's wedding sampler
Sherrie's high school graduation sampler
Sherrie's college graduation sampler

Knitting projects
   Elsie's afghan
   Sherrie's felted tote

I'm hoping that I can get all these finished in order to pick up Quaker Gone Tropic again.  It's all doable, it really is!

New Year's Resolutions

I know this is usually published on the first day of the new year but I've been thinking a lot about my resolutions for this year lately and I've come to a conclusion.  I'm not going to make any this year.  Yes, I plan on losing weight.  And I certainly plan on continuing my quest to declutter and reorganize my house and especially my stash.  But these are the same resolutions I've had for the last 2 years.  So why should I change anything now?  All of my goals are an in process kind of thing.  I don't know if there will be a place where I've totally happy with my weight or my hair or the way I look.  I know that decluttering is taking a while but I'm okay with that.  So this year there's no pressure to become perfect.  I'm getting happy about who I am and what I can achieve.  And isn't that the point of resolutions?  So I'm throwing away the list and keeping on keeping on.

Of course, I do have some stitching resolutions that I'll talk more about later in another post.  So stay tuned for those.

Blog Hop #14 - 2012 in Review

What was your biggest stitching accomplishment in 2012?
What was your favorite stash acquisition in 2012 and will you be using it in 2013?

Oh boy, this is a question I'm almost embarrassed to answer.  This is probably the first year I didn't finish anything!  Nothing, nada, zip.  I've been stitching for 35 years now and I believe this is the first year I didn't finish anything.  Of course, I think I have a pretty good reason.  Since I had my first eye surgery in March, I haven't been able to see well enough to stitch.  It was very frustrating to sit down and try to stitch and I couldn't even see the holes.  I did manage to participate in stitching my bosses Christmas present nut that was before the first surgery so I guess I can count that.  I'm hoping in 2013 to be able to get back into the stitching groove.  I want to finish Elsie's baby sampler and her Christmas stocking and then I want to do a wedding sampler for Brian and Alisha.  That's all my goals for now.  I figure if I keep my expectations low I might be able to accomplish them.

My favorite acquisition for the year occurred in the last month.  I had won the Survival pool over at the message board for Cross stitch 123 and with my gift certificate I bought myself a couple of designs by Chatelaine.  I really wanted Hawaiian Garden Mandala and the Sea Quilt but I could not justify the expense. So I decided that is what I wanted to get and now I have them in my hot little hands and plan on drooling over them while I ponder stitching them.

Hopefully 2013 will be much more productive than 2012 was.

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here. 

A New Year

Well, it's 2013 and another new year.  Is it just me or do the years just seem to be flying by?  2012 was a wonderful year due to the marriage of my oldest.  Brian and Alisha decided to elope to Las Vegas and Dave and I drove up to watch them get married.  It's been a long time coming and I'm very happy for them.  The second major event was that we became first time grandparents.  Chris and Annette (Chris is my second child and youngest son) had a beautiful baby girl, Elsie.  We got to spend Christmas with them in Minneapolis and it was wonderful.  But now I remember why we moved to Arizona.  It was COLD up there.  But we snuggled down with the kids and just enjoyed our beautiful grandbaby.  I don't know how we will top that in 2013.  My prayer and hope for all of you is a safe and happy new year.