2019 Stitching plans . . . already?

The rest of the world is thinking about pumpkins and cozy sweaters and I am thinking about next year, LOL.

So, probably spurred on by watching way too many YouTube videos about tinyhouse  and minimalist living (although I know the smallest I could go would be a park model mobile home with a superloft and I am not ready to reduce my belongings to fitting into a single storage tote), I have been really trying to make an effort to consume less in general and get rid of things I don't need. Over the past month, I have gotten 5 bags of clothes ready to donate and went through my books to get rid of two bins of books I think other people would enjoy more. I have been taking books to work and setting them out and donating them to the Little Free libraries, and, as soon as my car becomes reliable again, another box is going to A Book Thing in Baltimore.  This is not an easy process for me, but I am trying and change is good.

As far as my stitching stuff, there wasn't a lot that I was willing to give up at this point, but I did come to a decision about my 2019 plans. I have decided to make it a year of stitching from stash. I was really pleased with myself for my 2016 focus on UFOs. In 6 months, I got 25% of my 80 projects in the Bin of Good Intentions done, and I have gotten a few more done since then. It was not easy, but I did it. I want to have a year focused on similar goals, but, instead of being only projects I had not completed, I want to allow myself to pull anything from stash, as long as it's something I own, and my special focus is thin
gs I kitted up. I have a lot of my disposable income sitting in Ziploc bags, things I genuinely WANT to stitch, and it's time that I actually STITCH them, instead of just shifting the kitted-up projects around. It's basically a year "on the wagon" and I am hoping to see what I can accomplish. I have plenty of floss, plenty of fabric, and I have proven I can stay on track if I really try.

Granted, none of this starts til I finish Summer Ball, but I really think I can get that done, if not by the end of 2018, then early in 2019. It's worth a try. I started pulling projects together last night and I have a nice selection of freebies and other things to chose from, so it shouldn't be too bad a stitching year. What do you think?

A side post: I realized something!

I haven't really posted pictures of the kids in forever. I guess if you follow me on Instagram or we're Facebook friends, you see pictures of them, but I realize not everyone does that. So, celebrating the fact that, after 4 years, we finally got a new modem with Wifi my laptop acknowledges, I thought I would let everyone see pics of them.

This was March of 2017. Logan had been home a little over a month and was 5 1/2 months old, about 3 months adjusted.

I adore his expression in this one. He has always been such a smiley kid. Someone Small, who is not so small anymore, was so thrilled with him. Now, he is in that phase of little brotherhood where he is into everything. She isn't the biggest fan of him. I keep this kind of picture to remember "the good times". LOL. 

This was taken at the end of June. One of her birthday gifts was seeing a fabulous musical at my work. 

They had a thing where, in Act 2, the characters are in a nightclub. The emcee wishes an audience member Happy Birthday. Since it was her birthday, she was the lucky birthday kid. She was totally surprised and thrilled. She adores "working" at my job as the official box office kid, and loves live theatre and having the people on stage acknowledge her special day was fabulous for her. She told me when we were walking out that it was the best birthday ever. 

And the boy, eating crabs for the first time:

He doesn't even look like the same kid! He is almost 2, but adjusts to about 19 months old. He doesn't really talk yet, but he is trying. We have been through so much, and he adjusted so beautifully. He loves Mickey Mouse and Elmo, and is such a good boy. And he loves to eat. All the time. He actually eats better than his older sister--last night, I didn't feel like cooking, so got Chicken McNuggets for the family (I know, I know). He ate 10. And some fries. And wanted more. There isn't much he doesn't like, maybe pickles and sauerkraut. I am even teaching him to stitch. He pulls the needle through, I grab it and he yells, "Ahh, riiii" (Alright!), and claps. He is so pleased with himself. Pretty good for a "wimpy white boy" (I hate that term, it's a preemie thing, my son is not weak, never was, he has dealt with more nonsense in his very short life than most people deal with in 70 years. but people think that term is cute . . . .)

Anyway, thought someone might enjoy seeing my babies, growing up. Have a great evenign