Happy New Year! & 2023 in Review

 

My blog has been neglected since I began graduate school in January of 2022. Even so, I decided to share a Year in Review post to reflect on past goals and create a few goals for 2024.

My five goals for 2022 were:

1. Continue working out and make healthier food choices. - This goal was not met. I did a LOT of sitting, reading books about teaching strategies, and working on my laptop.
2. Succeed at school. - I met this goal! Graduation was earlier this month and I now have a Master of Arts in Teaching with an ESOL endorsement. (ESOL = English Speakers of Other Languages.) 
3. Spend more time with family and friends. - This goal was not met. Homework and working kept me busy.
4. Make visible progress on Twilight Duel and Fractal White Tiger. - This goal was not met. 
5. Complete one crazy quilt project. - This goal was not met. 

My goals for 2024:

1. Spend more time with family and friends.
2. Get back into running.
3. Complete Christmas Ornament Snow Much in Love.
4. Make a crazy quilted Christmas stocking.
5. Complete the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2024, incorporating stitches from TAST.

The top 5 blog posts viewed in 2023:

1. 2013 Winter Challenge Results Posted at Evening Star Designs!
2. Twilight Duel: SAL Update 30
3. Eerie Nights Blog Hop Day 5
4. Grow Your Blog
5. Peek a Who? Blog Hop

The top 5 blog posts viewed since 2012: 

1. Peek a Who? Blog Hop
2. 2013 Winter Challenge Results Posted at Evening Star Designs!
3. Crazy Quilt ATC Tutorial Part 1 - Piecing
4. Under the Sea Block Step 4: Seahorse Motif
5. Eerie Nights Blog Hop Day 5

 

2020 in Review

 Happy New Year!

2020 was not the year any of us expected. 
I do hope yours was not too bad. 

I was blessed to have an essential job with coworkers I truly enjoy spending time with. 

Last December we added a pet to our home. We finally found a pet I am not allergic to. Buddy, our bearded dragon, made this socially isolated year much easier to cope with.

My goals for 2020, shared in this post, were not all met. However, I did complete or make significant progress on these:

1. Finish my Heaven and Earth Designs "Storykeep Effects of Caffeine" based on art by Randal Spangler. Done! 

Storykeep Effects of Caffeine Dec. 31, 2019

Storykeep Effects of Caffeine February 2020

2. Add at least 300 stitches a month to my Charting Creations "Fractal White Tiger" cross stitch based on art by Ricky Barnard. This would have added a minimum of 3,600 stitches. I did not work on it monthly, but I did add 6,458 stitches to it in 2020.  (It appears the only the Small Fractal White Tiger is available now. The color of the nose was toned down in the smaller chart.)

Fractal White Tiger December 31, 2019

Fractal White Tiger December 31, 2020

3. Finish a row on my Heaven and Earth Designs "Twilight Duel" cross-stitch project. I did not meet this goal. 

"Twilight Duel" December 30, 2019

"Twilight Duel" December 31, 2020

My health goals were to participate in at least 2 races and to track the miles I ran throughout the year. The races ended up being virtual, but these goals were met, as shared in this post. I ran 176 miles in 2020 and love the statistics provided on my Runkeeper app. 

It will be fun to see how these change in 2021!

My goals for 2021 are pretty simple:

1. Make progress on Twilight Duel and Fractal White Tiger.

2. Work on some Crazy Quilt projects and actually blog my progress. (I'll share a bit of progress made in 2020 soon.)

3. Run 500 miles this year.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy 2021!

Hugs,

Renee

More 2020 Running Adventures

One of my goals for 2020 was to run in 2 races. Due to Covid-19 one race I planned to run was cancelled and the other was postponed. I am happy I did not let that stop me.

In August, I ran the Scooby Doo Family and Pet Virtual 5K Run/Walk. (I had to sign up for this one. It was Scooby Doo!)

On October 31st, I ran the Aurora Halloween Virtual 5K. (This race replaced the Aurora Colony Days 5K that was postponed in August.)

I challenged myself a little more on November 8th with the 2020 DC Batman Virtual 10K. (Our family loves superheroes. I might have been a little excited when I saw the first announcement for this race. I may have even set a reminder on my calendar and gotten up at 5 a.m. to sign up before work on the day registration opened...)

My final race of the year was much more somber. November 21st was International Survivor of Suicide Loss Day. I ran the Suicide Awareness 10K in memory of 2 childhood classmates and of teenagers in our community that were lost to suicide. It seemed fitting that this was a hard run. My right calf began to tighten up 2 miles in. I had to stop, stretch, and walk it out a few times. (Thankfully, the shoes I wore at work appeared to be the problem. Changing those resolved the issue for future runs.)

Two of these races supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and one supported the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

At the moment I do not have a specific running goal for 2021. 

The 8K I signed up for in March of 2020 was transferred to 2021. We shall see if the event is cancelled again this year. If so and there is a virtual option, I may choose the virtual option.

There is also an annual half marathon that I would love to train for in 2021. It is usually held in August, so I can take my time training for the distance. And, I can hope it will be late enough in 2021 that it will not be cancelled due to Covid-19. We shall see!

There were several goals I had this year that I did not meet, but at least I surpassed my expectations with my running goal. 

What goals did you crush in 2020? I'd love to hear about them!

-Renee

August Running Adventures

 

This crazy year is slipping by so incredibly fast! 

Back in May, I looked back at the goals shared in January. One of those goals was to participate in 2 runs in 2020. I'd signed up for my first 8K in March. However, a cold in January put me behind in my training. And then the race was cancelled. I was pretty bummed and took a break from running. By May, I could not run 3 miles without stopping to walk. 

So, I decided to follow the My First 5K Training Program on my Runkeeper App and start working my way up to running an 8K, in hopes that the race I'd hoped to run in March might actually happen in 2021.

With all of the virtual runs available in 2020, I realized I could still participate in 2 races this year.

On July 13th, I signed up for the Scooby Doo Family and Pet Virtual 5K Run/Walk. I was delighted on August 19th when my Scooby Doo Swag arrived.

On August 24th, I finally ran that 5K. It was my best pace since I began using the Runkeeper App in May of 2019 (and probably my best pace ever.) 

I am allergic to furry creatures, so I did not have a dog to join me on my run. However, my husband and Buddy, our bearded dragon, were waiting to greet me on the front porch at the end of my first virtual race. 

Buddy does not like pictures anymore than I do, but he was a trooper as my hubby documented the occasion. 

My 2nd run of the year will be the 2020 DC Batman Virtual Run. I signed up for my first 10K. (Yikes!) And am really looking forward to it. The swag for this run is just as fun as the Scooby Doo goodies. Race packets begin shipping on September 21st. I can barely wait for that package to arrive! In the meantime, I'm training with my Runkeeper App. 

Both of these virtual runs benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which is pretty awesome. (Registration for the Scooby Doo run is open until October 4th. Registration for the DC Batman Run is open until December 1st.)

In August, I also splurged and bought a running tank top through Amazon. This one cracked me up. 

As many of you know, I love statistics with my cross-stitching. 

I find the running stats on my Runkeeper App motivating, too.

August 2020 was a great running month for me. I managed to run 32.8 miles in August. My Scooby Doo Run's pace of 11:16 minutes/mile was my best pace yet.

And, I ran my first 5 mile run in years and years. 9 miles was my longest distance back in 2012, followed by a stress fracture from the wrong type of shoes that set me back from running for years. (If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have already beat this 5 mile distance in September.)

Needless to say, I am pretty excited to be working my way to a stronger, healthier version of myself. 

Wishing you all a fantastic month full of good health.

Renee

March 2020

Hello March!

February Goals in Review and March Goals:

My March Goals:

1. Complete the race I signed up for in March.
2. Add 300 stitches to Fractal White Tiger cross-stitch and share progress on Stitchy Start Blog.
3. Make progress on Twilight Duel cross-stitch to share in my March 8th and March 29th SAL updates.
4. Make progress on Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt to share with the 1 X-mas Item a Month Blog.
5. Make progress on my UFO list. #7 was selected for March - quilting my Sun, Sand, and Sea Block of the Month Quilt, but I need to swap that with #5 - finishing the last block.

February in review:
1. February: Train to run in March.  I am a bit frustrated with a knee issue that I hope is only shoe related.

2. February: Add 300 stitches to Charting Creations Fractal White Tiger and share progress on the Stitchy Start Blog.

Done! 723 stitches were added and the update is here. 

3. February: Add at least 30 stitches/day to HAED Storykeep Effects of Caffeine for 100 Days of HAED Challenge and share progress with the 3 week SAL.

Done! This piece was finished, as seen here.

1,756 stitches were added in February.
450 stitches counted toward the 100 Days of HAED Challenge.
1,306 additional stitches were added and 1,215 of those counted toward the Road Trip Around the USA Challenge - reaching  Campobello Island in the challenge.

4. February: Make progress on HAED Twilight Duel.

On February 16th, I switched to Twilight Duel for the 100 Days of HAED Challenge after finishing the Storykeep Effects of Caffeine. 

On February 28th, I spent time with a visitor rather than stitching. I only made it through 58 of the 100 Days for this challenge, but I am thrilled with my progress.

829 stitches were added to Twilight Duel in February.
360 stitches counted toward the 100 Days of HAED Challenge.
469 stitches counted toward the Road Trip Around the USA Challenge - reaching Old Port, Maine in the challenge.

5. February: Make progress on #2 and #9 on my American Patchwork Quilting (APQ) UFO Challenge.

#2 - Crazy Quilted Valentine Fabric Postcard - added a stem-stitched heart.

#9 - Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt - added a few more snowflakes.

6. February: Finish Snowman Ornament and make progress on Winter/Christmas Crazy Quilt to share on the 1 X-mas Item a Month blog.

Done! I finished this ornament yesterday and shared it here. I also added a few more snowflakes to the Winter/Christmas Crazy Quilt, as seen above.

7. InCoWriMo - Write a letter, card or postcard every day in February.

I knew InCoWriMo would be a stretch with everything else I hoped to accomplish this month. I only managed 5 of 29 this year - it was 4 more than I would have sent, though! 


Thanks for stopping by! 
Renee

February 2020

February is here already!

It truly feels like every month goes faster than the last. 

January Goals in Review and February Goals:

January: Find a race to run and track my miles with Runkeeper App.

I signed up for a race in March and ran 10.5 miles in January. (A bad cold early in the month prevented more.)

February: Train to run in March.

January: Add 300 stitches to Charting Creations Fractal White Tiger and share progress on the Stitchy Start blog. Done! 

371 Stitches added - mostly during International Hermit & Stitch Weekend (IHSW) through the Facebook group. IHSW is the 3rd full weekend of the month.

February goal is the same.

January: Add at least 30 stitches/day to Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) Storykeep Effects of Caffeine and share updates every 3rd Sunday with the SAL. Done! 

4,054 stitches were added in January. 930 counted towards the 100 Days of HAED Challenge to add 30 stitches/day. 

The remaining stitches counted as 3,124 miles in the Road Trip Around the USA Challenge. 29,240 miles to go...

February goal is the same. The next SAL update is February 16th.

January: Make progress on HAED Twilight Duel. Done!

2 hours went into Twilight Duel, adding 247 stitches to page 9.

February goal is the same.

January: Finish crazy quilted Valentine fabric postcard - #2 on my American Patchwork & Quilting (APQ) UFO Challenge (seen in the photo at the top of this blog post.) No progress made...

February: Make progress on (or finish?!) #9 on my APQ UFO Challenge List. This is my Winter/Christmas crazy quilt. 

January: 1 X-mas Item a Month blog: share progress on my Winter/Christmas Crazy Quilt. No progress made... 

Still dreading embroidering snowflakes, I hoped to finish this crazy quilted snowman ornament to share instead.  It is not quite done.

February goal is to finish this ornament and to share progress on my Winter/Christmas Crazy Quilt on the 1 X-mas Item a Month blog.

InCoWriMo - February is INternational COrrespondence WRiting MOnth. The goal is to write one letter a day throughout the month of February. 29 letters, cards and/or postcards in 29 days. I am joining the fun in 2020. Are you participating? If so, please let me know!

Yikes. This list looks a little overwhelming. I will take it one step, letter, and at least 30 stitches a day!

Wishing you all a fabulous February!
-Renee

January 2020

I hope 2020 is a fabulous year for all of you and that it is a great start to an amazing decade!

The last decade had a few blips in the road, but there were a lot of positives. Discovering crazy quilting and hand embroidery was definitely one of the biggest highlights. And I treasure all of the friendships I have made through our blogging community.

This year, I am trying to keep my goals simple and only participate in challenges that move me closer to those goals.

Health Goals:

• Track the miles I run throughout the year.
• Participate in at least 2 races.

Cross-Stitch Goals:

• Finish Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) Storykeep Effects of Caffeine.

• Add at least 300 stitches/month to my charting Creations Fractal White Tiger.

• Finish a row of pages on my HAED Twilight Duel.

Challenges & Commitments:

• Share Fractal White Tiger progress on the Stitchy Start Blog monthly.
• Continue sharing cross-stitch progress every 3rd Sunday with the Stitch Along (SAL) hosted by Avis at Sewing Beside the Sea. (Our next update is January 5th.)
• January 1 - April 9: 100 Days of HAED Challenge to add 30 stitches to one project (SK Effects of Caffeine) every day. (This is organized by Porsche in the Stitchtalk HAED Challenges Facebook Group.)
• Make progress on an unfinished object (UFO) each month through the American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge. (Most projects on my list are the same as last year.)

• Share a post on the 1 X-mas Item a Month blog every month. (I plan to share progress on my Winter/Christmas wall quilt - which is also #9 on my UFO Challenge list this year.) If you are interested in joining, details are here.

This Month:

UFO Challenge - #2 was selected for January. So, my goal is to finally finish this crazy quilted fabric postcard Valentine.

1 X-mas Item a Month - Add more snowflakes to my Winter/Christmas wall quilt.

You may learn more about this piece in this post and see the block I embellished here.

We shall see how I do with my goals this month. Honestly, I will be happy with any progress at all. Life is busy and it is short. Spending time with loved ones is always a priority.

I wish you and yours an amazing 2020!

Thank you for visiting.

Renee

2019 in Review

I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!

Can you believe the last day of 2019 has already arrived and a new decade will begin in the morning?! 

To all of you that work full-time, care for loved ones and still manage to find time for crafts and blogging, way to go! (I am still struggling to find that balance...)

I am afraid my blogging has been very sporadic this year. I have a few plans to hopefully change that in 2020. We shall see how they work out.

Thanks to a Christmas gift exchange, I finally have a few finishes to share from this year. These zipper coin pouches and tissue case covers were created for my co-workers - a couple of ladies I am very lucky to spend time with each week.

My goals for 2019 (shared in this post) were:

• Eat more vegetables. - Done! My husband and I completed the Whole 30 Challenge, which helped a lot with this goal. (I ate a mint without thinking about the sugar, so I didn't technically finish the challenge, but my husband did!)
• Drink more water. - I did well with this for a while, but need to increase my water intake again.
• Get back into a running routine. - I did this for several months. My son and I even ran in a Color Run this fall. (He let me share the photo above.) Circumstances out of my control required a running break, but I am eager to get back to it!
• Finish up some unfinished projects. - Some progress was made on 2 projects from my UFO list, but there were no finishes. My cross-stitch projects received the majority of attention.

Thanks to joining the Stitch Along (SAL) hosted by Avis at Sewing Beside the Sea, I managed a fair amount of progress on my Heaven and Earth Designs Storykeep Effects of Caffeine (artwork by Randal Spangler.)

January 1, 2019 - 18.55% complete with 4,390 stitches. 

0 of 4 pages finished.

December 31, 2019 - 75.44% complete with 17,850 stitches.

2 of 4 pages finished.

13,460 stitches were added this year. 

If I meet my goal of 650 stitches every 3 weeks, this should be finished by July 12, 2020.





I joined a Stitch Around the World Challenge through the Facebook Stitchtalk HAED Challenges group. The goal was to add 53,855 stitches to one Heaven and Earth Designs cross-stitch chart. My personal goal was to accomplish half that amount on Twilight Duel (artwork by Ruth Thompson.) In reality, I completed just over 20% of the journey and I am thrilled with that progress. 

January 1, 2019 - 38.90% complete with 57,412 stitches.

7 of 24 pages finished.

December 31, 2019 - 46.45% complete with 68,567 stitches.

11,155 stitches were added this year. 

10 of 24 pages finished.








Next year, I hope to have more updates of my Charting Creations Fractal White Tiger to share on the Stitchy Start blog.

January 1, 2019 - 17.15% complete with 29,900 stitches.

4 of 30 pages finished.

December 31, 2019 - 20.58% complete with 35,868 stitches.

5,968 stitches added in 2019.

4 of 30 pages finished.

Next year, I hope to share more photos on Instagram. In 2019, these were the top 9 of the 45 photos shared. (I used the free tool at bestnine(dot)net to find my top 9.)


Happy New Year!
Renee