Finished

I finished it yesterday!  I just need to find a frame and frame it and it will be ready for my husband's office.

Yes, there is a mistake in it.  I was going to frog it but then my husband couldn't find the error and even when I pointed out the error, he couldn't see it so I'm not going to frog it.  I changed the numbers and letters in it from the original pattern.  I also had to substitute two WDW for the GAST because my LNS was out and it's not the required fabric.  So, basically, I made it my own.

Current String Projects

Since the New Year started, I have been working on "Strawberry Fields Forever" by Blackbird Designs.  I am hoping to have it done and framed by Feb 20 (which is my anniversary and the husband's birthday).

I also started a new project.  I have had the materials and pattern for a few years but I never got around to starting it.  It is a "January Sampler" and it has beads and metallics and everything.  I realized today that I had read part of the pattern wrong so there was some frogging but I have made a good start so far.  There are companion February and March pieces which I hope to two the next two months as well (and then frame them all in the same type of frame).

Ornament Project Update

I am caught up!  Whoo hoo!

It was a bit late to make the tree but oh well.  She can enjoy it next year and hopefully I will have the ornaments done sooner (there will only be like three to make).

I did swap in some metallics (on the crown and necklace and the white collar) and satin (the bodice).

WIPs of 2016

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.  I got a few crafty things.

I don't normally set a ton or resolutions but here are my goals for the next year.

1. Wear my FitBit every day.
2. Read 200 books.
3. Get the champion ribbon at the fair (grand or reserve)
4. Get a ribbon at the state fair

Now, to the WIPs.  I still have a bunch in progress even though I finished off a few last year!  The following are the ones that I will be focusing on this year.  I have a few new projects I want to do as well.  You can always click the "Long Term Projects" tab to see all the WIPs I have.

Aurora is almost completed.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Gathering Honey

Rose Garden

Country Grace

Reading Challenge Complete

This year, I decided to do a  reading challenge off Facebook and I quickly filled up most of the categories.  However, once I reached a certain point, I was reading more off my other challenge of reading all the Newbery books and so I finally finished the last category on the reading challenge this week.

A book by an author with your same initials:  The Lost Years by J.M. Dillard

I've been meaning to read this forever since I have the four book "Lost Years" series of Star Trek in a boxed set.  I ended up reading it off Scribd because it was just easier to read it digitally.  I find myself embracing digital books more every year.  Anyway, this book is set after the Enterprise returns from her five year mission and we see Kirk promoted to admiral while Spock and McCoy resign from Starfleet.

My book count for the year according to Goodreads is 255.  Not too shabby.

Here's the complete reading challenge:

• A book with more than 500 pages - Insurgent
• A classic romance - Sense and Sensibility
• A book that became a movie - The Princess Bride
• A book published this year - The Mermaid's Sister
• A book with a number in the title - 1776
• A book written by someone under 30 - Flawless
• A book with nonhuman characters - Dragon Kiss
• A funny book - Fortunately, the Milk
• A book by a female author - Dear Mr. Henshaw
• A mystery or thriller - Broken Symmetry
• A book with a one-word title - Paperboy
• A book of short stories - Thistle and Thyme: Tales and Legends from Scotland 
• A book set in a different country - A Day on Skates: The Story of a Dutch Picnic
• A nonfiction book - 41: A Portrait of my Father; Killing Patton
• A popular author's first book - Star Trek The Next Generation #5 Strike Zone
• A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet - The Cuckoo's Calling
• A book a friend recommended - Off to Be a Wizard
• A Pulitzer Prize-winning book - Nazi Germany and the Jews: The Years of Extermination, 1939-1945
• A book based on a true story - The Road From Home
• A book at the bottom of your to-read list - The Winter Room
• A book your mom loves - Lad: A Dog
• A book that scares you - Doll Bones
• A book more than 100 years old - A Little Princess
• A book based entirely on its cover - Orphan Train
• A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - The Lantern Bearers
• A memoir - I Am Not Spock, I Am Spock
• A book you can finish in a day - El Deafo
• A book with antonyms in the title - Over Sea, Under Stone
• A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - Born With Teeth
• A book with bad reviews - The Glass Magician
• A trilogy - The Lord of the Rings
• A book from your childhood - Sarah Plain and Tall
• A book with a love triangle - Unsouled
• A book set in the future - Legacy Code
• A book set in high school - Go Ask Alice
• A book with a color in the title - Brown Girl Dreaming
• A book that made you cry - The Crossover
• A book with magic - The Eye of the World
• A graphic novel - Farscape Vol 5 Red Sky at Morning
• A book by an author you've never read before - The Dream Coach
• A book you own but have never read - The Bronze Bow
• A book that takes place in your hometown (home state) - Caddie Woodlawn
• A book that was originally written in a different language - Pippi Longstocking
• A book set during Christmas - The Dark is Rising
• A book written by an author with your same initials - The Lost Years
• A play - William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope
• A banned book - The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things
• A book based on or turned into a TV show - Pretty Little Liars
• A book you started but never finished - Mere Christianity

2015 Year in Review

Wow.  Writing this will be harder since I'm no longer tracking things for Stitch from Stash.

I hope your 2015 was a good year.  Mine was actually pretty good.  I had an adjustment period from being a full time grad student then a full time student teacher to being a full time stay at home mom with no other large responsibilities.  I had a lot of extra time for reading and stitching, which I took advantage of.  I also started subbing occasionally and grading STAAR tests to give me some more experience for my resume.  My girls made grade strides with their Autism-induced speech delays and we started them on medication which has helped immensely.

Here are my string highlights.

First, I got caught up with ornament boxes.  The only ornament not finished at this point is Zoé's 2015 Aurora ornament which I am about 2/3 done with.  I'll post a picture later.  Here are the 2015s that I finished.

I also managed to finish my oldest WIP, "Do Not Meddle," the much blogged about dragon piece I've been working and frogging forever.

I won another blue ribbon at the fair this year for "Sunflower Sampler."  Shooting for a champion ribbon next year!

Other larger framed finishes.

Yellow Submarine
Blackbird Designs

Fuji
Dimples Designs

Contemporary Wedding Sampler

And that's all for the string of 2015.  I'll post a reading wrap up post to follow.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

I managed to finish this in the nick of time last night.