2023....

 ~ Greetings and Warm Welcome to my Blog ~

A Joyous and Blessed Happy New Year 2023 to you all!

Well here we are friends....

a clean slate :) Although I approach every day (or try to) as a clean slate it is always a bit refreshing at the beginning of the new year to think: let's write my story...

My main goal in life is....

to be the best version of myself I can be. Version. That's a strange word isn't it. Sort of gives the idea that there are carbon copies of oneself. And isn't there? We all know the voice that we use when meeting someone new...Or if someone "important" walks into the room how our body language, speech automatically changes....

Versions....

Really honestly I try to only have one version of me....but it constantly needs improving. So starting a new year with God - it's important to me. And topics to help ME be a better ME. Which in my case means: SIMPLICITY and FOCUS on ME. That sounds really, really self-centered but as a mother and wife and general servant at heart - I tend to focus on everyone and everything BUT me.

Last Year I took very many big steps into making my life revolve better around my faith - I try to attend daily mass as much as possible which means in a week I tend to go 3-7 days a week. I agreed to lead an Adult Continuing Religious Education class this past year. The class is only partial year and runs from August - May.  I will continue that path, but also with a focus on me. ME time. I don't allow that for myself very often. That's going to change. I'm going to slow down on my finishing business and I am going to ramp up more walks, more meditation, more stitching, painting, sewing...whatever I want to do. I  have got to get it into my head that doing things for me...not just rushing through my day to get to my chair to stitch for a few hours in the evening... is OK. More than OK, it makes me a better person.

So my general law of the land...

well maybe not a law, how about working thesis...is to create a mindset conducive to more meditative steps to slowing down my whirlwind life I've created for myself. Giving myself more allowance for time where my hands may be idle to meditate on higher things. Giving myself more allowance for time to do creative things that are for me alone. Some people need to work on giving...that is not my problem at all. My problem: giving to myself or taking for myself - THAT is my issue. 

This is the perfect time to do it....

as I know Katie and Austin will soon, God willing, be trying to conceive. I made it my mindset from the moment that I had children was: if my children live close to me and I'm physically able - I'm going to help them care for their kids so they don't have to worry about daycare or babysitting. God put me on this earth to be a Mommy and I, God willing, will be an awesome Grandma. So if ever I was going to have a year for ME...this is the one! May it be so!

Let's talk stitching, huh?!

I gave you DAYS 1-4 of my personal 12 Days of Christmas Stitching Challenge....

so here we continue: 

I am continuing making Christmas ornaments. This one will be for Ellie - she loves squirrels. 

This is by a new to me designer: Pigeon Coop Designs. You may find his website HERE

32 ct. Storm Gray Linen 2/2

I have long loved these Santa Faces from Mill Hill - I have a couple and *may have* used some Christmas Cash to buy the rest of them. Please note, the hat is stitched on a small piece of perforated paper and the face and beard is stitched on the other (peeking out from behind the chart). Once all stitched you attach the hat to the head. 

14 ct. perforated paper 3/1

I have had this kit for about 3 years. Our Lady of Guadalupe by Joan Elliott. I got a nice start on her on New Year's Eve.

She's stitched on 14 ct. Aida that came in the kit - I'm not too good to stitch on Aida. 

2/1

My New Year's Day Start:

June Griggs Designs for P Buckley Moss "Solitary Skater" 

28 count DMC 2/2

  Like the Told in a Garden designs - I have a LOT of these in my stash. (I have long been an admirer of the Amish as a people and the tenants they hold on simplicity) My home is filled not only with cross stitch, but with prints from Nancy Noel and P Buckley Moss. So...makes sense to pull this oldie, but goodie out and get it up on the wall. It is stitching up FAST (as you can see). Some people don't care for solid stitching... to me it's almost therapeutic. As you can see I stitch in the outline and fill it in way. I prefer to do it that way - in fact I have ALWAYS stitched like that. I find I have less counting mishaps if I outline and fill in. Easy evening stitching. 

So there we are all updated to Today: 1/2/23

I will be starting today a design I sort of laid out myself. I will be utilizing the Prairie Schooler Angels:

What I have planned is stitching these all in a row and I have charted in a Celtic/Old World style font to be stitched 1/1 in gold: Gloria in Excelsis Deo. I am stitching them on black evenweave and I personally think they are going to be fantastic like this. We will see. 

What else do I have planned....

well I have pulled LOTS of things to start. I thought I had less than 12 turns out...nope - I have about 3 times 12 pulled. HA HA HA! 

I'm going to start enough to get to 12 (maybe a couple more than that depending on how I feel) 

and then rotate through these new starts and some old WIPS that I'm bringing back.

What you may see:

Told in the Garden

Mirabilia

Carriage House Samplings

Little Stitcher Ornaments

Dimensions Gold Kits

Luca S Kits

Little House Needleworks

Cross Stitch and Country Crafts Magazine Pieces

For the Love of Cross Stitch Magazine Pieces

What you are sure to find:

FUN! 

I plan 2023 to be a whole lot of fun in sharing what I love to do best. 

In closing....

thank you for all of you who leave such warm and friendly comments. 

I know that some say they cannot leave comments on my blog. I have found personally if you are on Apple products - it's hard to leave comments. BUT if you sign into Chrome on said product you can leave comments easier. I use Apple products and I struggle with leaving comments on my favorite blogs too. So sometimes I will run down to my good old computer and sign in to leave one, but have found that signing into Chrome does make a big difference. 

My friends, thank you so much! 

May your 2023 be off to a wonderful start. My family has one last day to spend together before back to the grind. We are meeting today for lunch and an afternoon of games. We will be meeting for the second time Ian's new girlfriend. She is a year older than him. Is devout in her faith (Baptist), has brought him back to God (prayers answered). She seems very kind, down to earth and works hard. As far as I'm concerned I'm on board!

Until next time....

May you find peace with your needle and thread!

Love in stitches, 

Vonna xxxx