Ornamentification, Art Deco & More

My holidays are finally here!  No work for two weeks, and this year I feel like I have really earned my time off.  Life has been very busy for me (as usual), this last week even more so.  I'm trying to remember if I even found any time to stitch at all?  This past week I only got home before 9PM twice, and that's a long day when you leave the house at 7AM.  I have a fairly low-key Christmas Break planned and I've been looking forward to focusing on things like blogging a little more, stitching a lot, and focusing on ME!  Eating properly and being active in some form each day.  I've got some trips planned into town so I can get to the gym, but barring that I have a treadmill in the basement.  After Tuesday, Taekwon-Do will be on holiday as well until January 4th, so it'll be up to me to find a way to keep active.  Sigh, life was so much easier when I was content to sit on my behind, stitch, and be over 200 lbs.

Sadly this year I did not get enough ornaments finished up to give them out to all the people I like to gift them to at work.  Only the secretaries got their stockings this year.  Normally I give ornaments to the secretaries, administration and a few of my favourite people at the school.  I decided this morning when I got (too early IMHO) after I went to Weight Watchers and after I ran 3km in my basement, that I needed to put my nose to the grindstone and get ALL my ornaments finished.  So I was in for a serious ornamentification session today!  Sadly they're still not all done and I spent maybe about 5 hours working on it.  Instead of doing each ornament individually from start to finish I did each step for every ornament at once!  So I have more ornaments waiting in my craft room with just cord to put on them.  They can wait for Sunday, but they will get done!

Freebie from the Alchemist's Study blog

Love by R&P

Snow Gazing by Paw Printings -- remind you of someone?

'Tis Red by La-D-Da

I was rushed to get this one done for my WW leader this AM so its not my best finishing

I thought I'd also share where Art Deco stands as of today with you, I'm hoping to finish the Air block while on holidays.  So here's where I'm starting, let's see how far I get in two weeks. 

The Christmas Cards have started to arrive in the mail.  I must admit I feel guilty that I don't send them out anymore!  What's my excuse, I just don't have the time to do them!  Is that really a good excuse, that I don't have the time to write a special message for each of my friends and family.  Not really.  I'll try again next year!  I got a lovely surprise from my good blog-friend-and-met-in-real-life Judy!  She not only sent me a lovely card but these lovely skeins of floss that will get put to good use, and some gourmet hot chocolate!

Speaking of stitchy supplies, the other week I made a run for the border!  Actually I went down to Ogdensburg NY to pick up a parcel I had delivered to the UPS store there.  Well, JoAnne's happens to be right next door!  These wonderful Ginghers came home with me!  At 50% off too!

I hope all of you take a little time to breathe, relax and enjoy this week as we count down the days to Christmas.  I find these last days people tend to get a little crazy, we all need to put life into perspective and realize that we need to find our patience.  That "getting it all done" and being rude and getting aggravated just take the joy out of the season.  Share a smile and be understanding it goes a long way!  If it dosen't get noticed just feel good about yourself, that you are the better person.

2008 - The Year in Review

I've kinda been writing this post in my head for quite a few days now. So let's see how this comes out through the keyboard.

Happy 2009 fellow bloggers, stitchers, photographers, martial artists, readers and more! Its not too often I sit around, looking forward to a New Year, and looking back at the previous year with pride. I do believe I can look back on 2008 with pride! Its been a year full of challenges, changes, victories, accomplishments, stitching, family and friends new and old. I hope many of you are looking back at the last year in the same way. Looking at what you've done that was worth celebrating, what challenged you, and what made you stronger, happier, more complete.

I entered 2008 with not a great outlook on life. My right foot was still a mess from my injury in May of 2007. It was still causing me pain, it kept me away from one of my passions (Taekwon-Do), it held me back, and it helped (but wasn't the only cause) to contribute towards my soaring weight. By February I finally got some testing done, where it was discovered I had not only partially torn my plantar fascia but done some damage to the 3rd and 4th metatarsals. By late spring I started an experimental treatment called prolotherapy, a number of rather uncomfortable injections to the foot every six weeks for a total of six treatments. I still have 2-3 treatments to go in 2009, but I do believe its working and has been worth the cost.

At the end of February I took a huge step in my life, it was time to deal with my weight. Something many of us know about all too well, the constant battle with our weight, food, and the image media forces upon us of what is normal and what is right and what is pretty. I had actually started lamenting to myself and a few people around me about my weight in 2007, and I knew it was time to do something. In January I knew what I needed to do, to go to Weight Watchers. I had to admit this was something I was unable to do alone, that yes, I needed help. It took me until the last week of February/first week of March to come up with the guts to do it, to walk into a Weight Watchers meeting. At first I didn't know what to expect, and was self conscience of how the people at the meeting saw me, saw how big I was, saw how weak I was because I couldn't loose weight on my own. Since my first meeting, I rarely miss one, if I do I try to go to another one in my area, and if I can't make that I always get into a Weight Watchers Center to weigh in. I've met a great group of ladies (and our token male), who have been so supportive in my journey. I've also had a world of support from my parents, my partner, my friends and all of you! Your support has meant the world to me! (pssst those jeans in the pic are my new size 8's!)



In these 9 months at Weight Watchers I have : lost 55.5 lbs (with 14.5 left to loose), I've gone from almost a size 20 to a size 10/8, I started running, went back to Taekwon-Do and joined the gym! Loosing weight has left me feeling great (I used to feel blah all the time!), empowered, looking good, brought back old joys, and opened up new activities/opportunities!

During May and June I went back to College and took an introductory Digital Photography course. Wow did that open up a new world for me and unleashed another side of my creativity! I learnt how to use the Digital SLR camera I got in the New Year properly. I also met some pretty neat people as well. It was exhausting, being in class 6 hours a week at night but well worth it!

Throughout the spring, summer and fall months I told you all about my various adventures and road trips! I got in a lot of visiting with my friends who live within a few hours drive. I attended several stitching retreats, which I enjoy a lot. I also went on a great little roat trip to the Adirondacks with my Mum where I managed to take some great photographs! Oh and concerts too!

Then there's the stitching! Where would my life be without my obsession, my favourite hobby? I've made so many great friends both in person and online through stitching. I started this blog just to chronicle/show off my stitching. It has since turned into so much more! In 2008 I finished a total of 59 projects! I tried to make it 60 but the clock beat me to midnight and I didn't get that last project finished in time. I left 2008 with 4 unfinished projects which will continue to be WIPs in 2009.

So what's in store for 2009 you may ask? Who knows what adventures may come my way?

However I do know what I'd like to accomplish!

• Reach my goal weight, with a total of 70lbs lost
• Renew my gym membership by January
• Get my 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwon-Do
• Participate in Run For the Cure
• Finish any WIPs left from 2008

I enter 2009 with Paradigm Lost, Tour Des Marques, Blackstone Fantasy Garden and Todd's Christmas Stocking in my stitching basket. As usual each New Year's Day I start a new project with some of my stitching friends (last year it was Moonlight Guardian), this year we've all picked various Mirabilias. A blog has been started up for us Mira. stitchers to track our progress as we go along with this SAL.

Today I started Art Deco Spirits after a small Happy Dance which I had planned as #60 for 2008 but it has turned into #1 for 2009 ... and my first ornament! As you can see I have an affinity for black cats!

Snow Gazing

c2005 Paw Printings

Stitched on : 32ct Misty Blue Belfast Linen

Stitched with : DMC cotton

I hope you all have a happy and stitchy filled 2009! And follow your dreams!