New Years Stitching Resolutions...2008

I really want to work on some big pieces this year as well as finish some small things. I haven't quite decided how I am going to rotate projects. I tend to get the most done when I am concentrating on one or two designs at a time but some of the pieces I want to stitch are so large it's not realistic to think I could just work until I finished them. I will just have to see how things develop as I work through the year :-). As I complete the smaller pieces I will add other designs into the rotation.

Stitching Rotation Projects 2008:

1 Carriage House Samplings Village of Hawks Run Hollow
2. Drawn Thread Alphabet Sampler
3. Midsummer Night Designs Oh Heaven
4. Blackbird Designs Their Song
5. Blackbird Designs Maude Eloise 1891
6. Blackbird Designs Where my Heart Blooms
7. Ewe & Eye & Friends Love Letters
8. Shepherd's Bush Love Letters
9. Bent Creek Summer and Autumn Snappers
10. Frances Eden 1809
11. Merry Cox Diminutive Sewing Set Pre-Stitching
12. Blackbird Designs Willow House (for my parents)
13. ...And They Sinned
14. Ann Trump
15. Good Huswife June Morning
16. Scarlet Letter And All was for an Appil
17. Neighborhood Round Robins
18. One Christmas Ornament a month
19. Lots of smalls for my wooden stand

So there it is! My plan for the year. I don't expect that I will finish all the bigger projects, I would be happy if I finished even two of them. I hope everyone has a great New Year with lots of finishes.

Happy New Year and Present!

I got the most gorgeous Christmas gift from Karin. She stitched a beautiful ornament with the Eiffel Tower for me. She also sent all of these gorgeous bits and pieces from Sajou, thread winders, Eiffel Tower Scissors, pins, stationery, and a thread holder. I also got a book, a sampler coffee cup and a few other bits and pieces. I was thoroughly spoiled.

We had a wonderful Christmas. I got an absolutely beautiful right hand diamond ring from my parents. It's a piece of jewelry my father bought for my mom 35 years ago so I am especially thrilled to have it. Jeff also got me a ring and earrings, they are wonderful, made in Israel. I got a new Sansa E280, the Maryland Girlhood Embroidery book, SB Come, Frances Eden with the thread pack from HDF and the Elizabeth Meadow Sampler. I also got clothes, shoes, cologne and a really neat lap desk. I think I did very well this year.

I haven't got much stitching done, but I plan to finish up my last exchange and a little gift in the next day or two. As tempting as it is to sign-up for a few of the new exchange blogs springing up, I am going to try and control myself a bit this year. I love, love, love doing them but with my part time job and taking care of my family it seemed like I didn't get much done for my walls this past year. I am going to try and post my goals for the year on New Year's day. I have an idea of what I want to accomplish but I need to put it in writing, LOL. Then I am committed, I think... :-).

Our family has had lots of transitions this year: graduations, retirements, new jobs. There were as always, happy times and sad times, it's a part of life. I am deeply thankful that I always have the enduring peace of knowing that God has a plan for me. My favorite Bible passage is Jeremiah 29:11-13. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart".

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year. Thank you all for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. I so appreciate it. I love reading everyone's blogs and I try to leave little notes as often as I can.

Merry Christmas, PIFS and Exchanges!

The tree is decorated, presents are wrapped, menus are planned and my parents will be here this afternoon :-). I am so excited about Christmas this year. We've spent the last three Christmases traveling to see family and friends, they were all wonderful, but it's nice to be home for a change. I've planned a gorgeous 4 course dinner, salad, pasta, prime rib and dark chocolate cheesecake stuffed cake for dessert. In addition to shopping for everyone's gifts, I do most of my own shopping too and wrap it and put it under the tree. I can be a bit picky, LOL. My DH is so sweet, he always gets me a couple of surprise gifts. He did his shopping yesterday and when he got home he told me how much he must love me to go out shopping at Christmas time. It's nice to be loved :-). He hates to shop. When we were dating, we went to the mall and he looked at me and asked me if 20 minutes was enough. I knew then we wouldn't be shopping together, LOL.

I have finished all of my PIFs and they are winging their way to various destinations all over the world. I won't say who is getting what but the pictures are below.

I had Cari for the Stitching Blogger's Christmas Exchange Blog this year. For her Birthday I sent her a Sweetheart Tree design and some other goodies. Heather did the finishing for me :-). I am sewing machine challenged, LOL. I also sent her one of the SB ornaments for Christmas.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with lots of stitching gifts, I have a few under the tree :-), and most important, happy times spent with family and friends. I am so thankful to be able to celebrate the birth of our Savior with people I love and cherish.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11