After working a full day, I do not cross stitch as much as my mind thinks I should. Sometimes I have guilt from not pursuing this guilty pleasure. I have the goal to complete two cross stitch projects this year, and after achieving it last year, I know I can. And, just like an athlete with the Olympic Games in mind, I have a training plan: devote at least a half an hour at night to cross stitching. However, sometimes it is beneficial to change up training styles. Some cross stitchers recommend completing a specific number of stitches each day/week. My question to you is: How do you set your goal? At this time, I am thinking of circling (in pencil) a weekly goal so I can finish my 2 cross stitch projects for 2024. The first WIP is the Joy Sunday Cross Stitch Kits that I got off Amazon. The instructions are 12 pages and I have finished 2 pages—some of it was done prior to the new year but two down, 10 to go. This WIP is the first one on my list to get done and, given that I have a pretty busy schedule, it will be a challenge. Most important, I am excited to have it done, so I will keep stitching away.
As per the New Year (Adrenalin) Rush, I am trying to do it all or work on turning all of my goals into habits. I have actually gotten my 10,000 steps daily (yay, me! The count is now in the double digits!). Part of that is taking our sweet Rosy, pictured here, for daily walks to help her with the loss of Bella. While I do not know that Rosy appreciates it, my husband and I can tell that she is missing Bella. Actually, we all are. Again, the step count is the goal but now the mind turns to twenty minutes of exercise. I have seen on my own app that it is possible to get 10k steps but not exert enough energy to get the heart rate up. How is this even possible?! Without throwing Rosy under the bus, I will say that she was heartworm positive and had just completed treatment when we adopted her and this does limit her ability to walk at a strong pace. Our walks with Rosy are dedicated to keeping her joints loose and her delicate heart healthy.
Professionally, I am making a lot of adjustments. Blooming Daisies Crafts is still a priority for me, but I have gone back to working full time with my BFF at her family’s HVAC company. Fulfilling Blooming Daisies Crafts customer orders are at the top of the list (and we all know how important my lists are) after the daily grind. On the weekend, it is time to sew up some new product for the website. Lately, I am working on an amusing wintry snowman print. Imagine happy snowmen outfitted in colorful scarves with matching caps. As my sister said, “quite the dichotomy.” However, we both agree that the snowmen are cute and the print is cheerful for the upcoming weather event. Be sure to check the Blooming Daisies Crafts website next week for these Grime Guards and Q-Snap Bags. I will also try to remember to link this blog to the new product. I am also working on introducing new fabrics for my other product lines: Surgical Caps and Ostomy/Urostomy Bag Covers.
Another exciting event this month: my husband and I will be taking our oldest grandson to his first National Hockey League game. It is my first pro hockey game, too! To begin, the travel logistics were fun. Our grandson, #2, lives in Atlanta; we live in SW Florida! He is flying here on a Thursday, and we will then drive up to Tampa for the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Arizona Coyotes game. Did I mention that #2 is an Arizona Coyotes fan? After that game, he will be here for a Friday East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) hockey game. I will say that my husband and I enjoy the ECHL games and are hoping the experience does not ruin us for our season tickets. Our local team does a lot of fun activities to engage the fans during the game and to support local causes. We will finish up our visit with #2 when we drive halfway to Atlanta to hand him off to our daughter. It should be a great time!
Later this winter, my sister and I are taking a girls trip of a sort! I will fly into her local airport and, together, we will be traveling to Phoenix. It will be a short excursion but we want to visit our brothers for a long weekend. We were fortunate to find a “deal” at a resort in Scottsdale that affords us the same suite but individual bedrooms. It is the height of season for Arizona and prices are steep. At one point, my BIL joked that we should rent a car big enough to sleep in. At least I think he was kidding. It should be a good time. I am even looking forward to the plane ride. As soon as we made the reservations, I started shopping for a simple cross stitch to stow easily and that would allow me work on it at the airport and during the flight without all of the accoutrements. I found a set of plastic canvas Christmas ornaments on eBay and quickly put in an offer which was accepted. I love it when a plan comes together!
I hope that everyone stays warm during this next weather event. And as you are hunkered down, enjoying your favorite indoor activity, cross stitching, be sure to check out the Blooming Daisies Crafts website for something new to cheer you up, or post your progress on the Blooming Daisies Crafts social media pages. If there is one thing I love more than sharing my progress, it is seeing yours!