Happy New Year!

Just a quick note to wish all of you a very Happy New Year!  It's quiet here at the house,  I'm beginning to take down the Christmas tree and gearing up to go back to work after a glorious 11 days off.  Wow, did I need the break.

I got to stitch a lot and I promise that I will take pictures of what I've finished.  I finished Prairie Schooler's, Merry Christmas Eve on Christmas Eve.  I've started Baby It's Cold Outside and I've finished December's Wordplay.  Oh, and I finished Letters For Santa too.  Vacations are wonderful, aren't they?

I've been thinking of next year and what I'd like to accomplish.  I think that I'm going to play it by ear, this year, I focused on Wips, which I think I'm going to continue to do.  I really will finish, I Sigh Not for Beauty and True Virtue.  I thought it would be fun to stitch Christmas designs and ornaments all year or focus on Prairie Schooler Santas.  But I love the other seasons, especially Halloween, so I'm not sure I can keep stitching snow in the middle of summer.  And I also thought I'd work through all the LHN ornaments (I have like 16 of those).  Plus, I have a grand-daughter to stitch for now too.  Oh, there's just too many things to stitch, so I'm just going to just "go for it".  No pressure.

 I bought a lot of stash this year, only things that I truly love though and that's a big step for me.  Gone are the days of buying just to say I have it.  I have more patterns than I will ever stitch in my lifetime so a little restraint is a good thing, no?

Finally, before I go back to taking down Christmas,  I want to pass the two With My Needle patterns on to someone. I want to share them with someone who doesn't have them. So comment on THIS POST ONLY if you would like my very gently used Letters for Santa and December Wordplay.  I'll draw the name on January 2nd.  Letters for Santa is a bit worn on the folds but the pattern is serviceable.  Just sayin'.

Last year, I chose a word to focus on all year. That word was TRUST. I have to say, that I learned alot about myself through that word in 2012, I realize that I am not as trusting as I believed and when my faith was tested, I found that I lacked sorely lacked trust. I've improved and the journey isn't over. But the word for 2013 is GRATITUDE. I take so much for granted and I also found that I'm not grateful for what I have or the blessings I've received. I've found through some soul searching that I feel "entitled" and that's not the attitude I want to cultivate. So, my focus word in 2013 is "gratitude" and by default "thankfulness".

One thing I know from the bottom of my heart is that I am grateful as well as thankful that I have wonderful blogging buddies who brighten me when I'm down, inspire me when I am low on creativity and share with me a love of stitching. You have enriched my life and for that I am forever grateful and most thankful. 

SO, it's on to 2013.  A bright new shiny year.  Here's to new beginnings!