2020 - A Year in Review

I have heard a lot of people complaining that this year has been so long. I definitely don’t feel this way at all. I feel like the year has flown by. 

It was definitely a productive cross stitch year. I went for quality, not quantity this year and completed 10 projects and 2 of those took all year to complete.

Just Nan

Miss Pansy Mouse (Spring)

Rosebud Tweet

Frosty Snow Mouse (Winter)

Miss Strawberry Mouse (Summer)

Miss Ghostly Pumpkin Mouse (Autumn).  Just realized I haven't assembled this mouse yet.  Maybe I should get it done for January's FFG.

UFO

Plaid Trousers

Clare's Flower Bouquet Ornaments

Purple Clematis

Red Poppy

Year long SALs

Peppermint Purple SAL

SYOA - Letters From Hogwarts SAL (Harry Potter)

Other Hobbies

• Card Making - I estimated that I needed 47 cards this year. I made 21 new ones and used 10 extra Christmas ones I made several years ago.
• Reading - I met my challenge and read over 50 books this year (actually 60)
• Theatre Scrapbooks - are now all up to date, ready for when we can go back to watching live theatre performances.
• Colouring Books - I didn’t colour once a month in them. I did 1 autumn page and I coloured on quite a few cards.
• Puzzles - we completed 2 of the 7 we had, and bought a few new ones too which we have also completed. So we still have some left for the winter months.
• Gardening - not a very productive year (too hot and dry), but we had fun trying to grow some new flowers. I finally got my Four O’Clock flower seeds to grow and even collected the seeds from the plants I grew for next summer. These are flowers my Grandma grew every year when I was a child.
• Video Games - I started playing Animal Crossing New Horizons (Nintendo Switch). 
• Blogging - I blogged 273 times for 2020 and only 117 in 2019.

I thought it was Spring ...

I thought is was Spring, but it looked like winter this morning when I woke up.  My hot tub cover is covered in snow.

The roof of my neighbours shed.

This is the same scene tonight, thank goodness all of the snow is gone.

May Stitching Goals
Start & Finish SYOA - Chapter 3
Peppermint Purple (Green) - stay caught up

Other Hobbies Goals
Card Making
Make 2 cards (and mail them) for birthdays May (18 & 26).
Make 3 birthday cards for June.

Continue reading and playing Animal Crossing New Horizons.


April Stitching Review
Start & Finish SYOA - Swirls/Hogwarts castle/Hogwarts Express Train - YES, I completed everything I wanted to before Chapter 3.
Peppermint Purple (Green) - stay caught up - YES, caught up on the last day.

Other Hobbies Review
Card Making
Make 3 cards for May. - NO, just finished 1 today.
Make 3 cards for June. - NO, didn't feel inspired.

Continue reading and playing Animal Crossing New Horizons. - YES, read 10 books and played video games every day.

April Goals

April Stitching Goals
Start & Finish SYOA - Swirls/Hogwarts castle/Hogwarts Express Train
Peppermint Purple (Green) - stay caught up

Other Hobbies Goals
Card Making
Make 3 cards for May.
Make 3 cards for June.

Continue reading and playing Animal Crossing New Horizons.

March Stitching Review

Start & Finish SYOA - Chapter 2 was released yesterday - YES, working on the top while I wait for Chapter 3 to be released May 1.

Peppermint Purple SAL - catchup (9 weeks) and finish each week on time - YES, caught up (13 weeks) just released week 14 today.

FFG - assemble Summer Mouse & Spring House - YES, I finished Summer Mouse. NO, I didn't assemble Spring House.

Smalls SAL - stitch another Just Nan mouse - NO, I stitched a flower for Clare's tree instead.

Blog everyday - YES

Other Hobbies Review

Card Making

Make a birthday card for my husband (March 24) - YES, I made the snooker card.

Make 2 birthdays cards for April - YES, I will show them on the dates of their birthdays

Make a card for my friend Lisa (right knee replacement surgery on April 8). - YES, but her surgery was cancelled for April 8 and she took someone else's spot on March 12.

Try to make all the cards needed for May (3), June (5) and July (5) that I need. - NO = 0 for May.  YES, but only 2 (of 5) for June.  YES, but only 1 (of 5) for July.

Video Games

Complete as many goals as possible by March 19, in my old town Animal Crossing New Leaf on Nintendo 3DS. - YES, I played a bit but not as much as I wanted to. 

I’m so excited to start playing the new deserted island get away Animal Crossing New Horizons on Nintendo Switch March 20. - YES, but I had to share an island with my son Jaspar for 10 days because Amazon didn't ship my new Nintendo Switch on time.  It arrived on March 30, so I just started playing my own game this week.

Not sure if I’ll want to do anything else after March 20th.  Anyone else going to be playing this game??

While I waited for my own game console to arrive, I did a lot of stitching and card making.

March Goals

March Stitching Goals

Start & Finish SYOA - Chapter 2 was released yesterday

Peppermint Purple SAL - catchup (9 weeks) and finish each week on time

FFG - assemble Summer Mouse & Spring House

Smalls SAL - stitch another Just Nan mouse

Other Hobbies Goals

Card Making

Make a birthday card for my husband (March 24)

Make 2 birthdays cards for April

Make a card for my friend Lisa (right knee replacement surgery on April 8).

Try to make all the cards needed for May (3), June (5) and July (5) that I need.

Video Games

Complete as many goals as possible by March 19, in my old town Animal Crossing New Leaf on Nintendo 3DS.

I’m so excited to start playing the new deserted island get away Animal Crossing New Horizons on Nintendo Switch March 20.

Not sure if I’ll want to do anything else after March 20th.  Anyone else going to be playing this game??

February Stitching Review

SYOA (Harry Potter) - Finish Hufflepuff banner - YES, I finished it and stitched all the outlines for the other 5 Chapters too

FFG - assemble Spring Mouse and Frosty Winter Mouse - YES, I assembled both mice

Smalls SAL - stitch another Just Nan mouse - YES, I stitched Miss Strawberry Mouse

Other Hobbies Review

Theatre Scrapbook - complete plays for 2019 (9), then I’ll be all up to date - YES, completed and now ready to do pages for this year

Make a card (to mail) for my Mother-in-Law Jean’s birthday on February 24th. - YES, completed and mailed!

Start planning other cards for the next few months. - YES, I made 4 more cards (3 birthdays, 1 St. Patrick’s Day)

Reading - YES, I read 8 books in February

February Goals

February Stitching Goals
SYOA (Harry Potter) - Finish Hufflepuff banner/house crest
FFG - assemble Spring Mouse in a House and Frosty Winter Mouse
Smalls SAL - stitch another Just Nan mouse

Other Hobbies Goals
Theatre Scrapbook - complete plays for 2019 (9), then I'll be all up to date.
Make a card (to mail) for my Mother-in-Law Jean's birthday on February 24th.
Start planning other cards for the next few months.

January Stitching Review
Participated in 3 SALs

1. FFG - YES, framed Green Flip-Its
2. Smalls SAL - YES, stitched Rosebud Tweet & Frosty Winter Mouse
3. SYOA (Harry Potter) - YES, started Hufflepuff banner/house crest

Finish Spring Mouse in a House - YES, so happy I finished project from 2017.
Finish Plaid Trousers - YES, so happy I finished this UFO from 2012!!

I decided not to participate in the Seasons SAL & 35 x 35 for 2020 SAL hosted by Magical Quilts because the Harry Potter SAL and my Just Nan miniatures will take up all of my stitching time this year.  Along with all of my other hobbies.

Other Hobbies Review
Make 3 cards for birthdays in January - YES, all done and mailed.
Theatre Scrapbook - work on getting my book up to date - YES, I have completed 2017 (13 plays) and 2018 (11 plays).
Reading - YES, I read 6 books in January.
Blog more - YES, I blogged every day in January.  I only blogged 13 times in January 2019.

Happy New Year 2020!!

2020 Stitching Goals

1. Finish Spring Mouse in a House (and the Spring mouse)
2. Summer Mouse in a House (stitch just the mouse)
3. Autumn Mouse in a House (stitch just the mouse)
4. Witchy Mouse
5. Witchy Sister Mouse
6. Frosty Mouse in a House (stitch just the mouse)
7. Christmas Mouse in a House (stitch just the mouse)
8. Gingerbread Reindeer Mouse
9. Gingerbread Santa Mouse
10. Gingerbread Mrs. Claus Mouse
11. 3D Xmas tree

Stitch-a-longs I'm thinking of participating in.

Thanks to Loretta at Stitching the Night Away, because I found a Big List of Cross Stitch SALs to Join in 2020.  I only chose 3 from her list (1 for sure, 2 still thinking about joining) along with 2 continuing from last year.

Stitch Your Own Adventures (SYOA) Letters from Hogwarts - Hosted by Cunning Cross Stitch

If you are a huge Harry Potter fan like I am, then this SAL will definitely be lots of fun.

Seasons SAL (50sts x 50sts) - Hosted by Magical Quilts

I like projects that have all 4 seasons, but I will decide after seeing the first pattern.

35 x 35 for 2020 - Hosted by Magical Quilts

I’ll decide after seeing the first pattern.

Fully Finished Gallery - Hosted by Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher
I participated most of the last year.  I'm planning to do this again, but hopefully for the whole year.

Smalls SAL - Hosted by Mary at Mary's Threads
I participated the first half of the year.  I'm planning to do this again, but hopefully for the whole year.

Card Making Goals

January - 3 birthdays

February - 1 birthday

March - 1 birthday

April - 2 birthdays, 1 Easter 

May - 2 birthdays, 1 Mother’s Day

June - 4 birthdays

July - 5 friendship Day, 2 birthdays, 1 wedding

August - 2 birthdays

September - none

October - 1 Mother-in-Law Day

November - none

December - 1 birthday, 20 Christmas 

I want to make 47 cards in total.

Other Hobbies Goals

Gardening
plant a vegetable patch 
add some new flowers
enlarge the front flower bed

Colouring
try to colour in my colouring books at least once a month

Puzzles 
We have about 7 still to do (3x1000, 1x1500 & 2x2000 pcs), plus I'm sure I'll find new ones to add to our pile.

Reading 

Read 50 books (should be easy, I read 82 in 2019).

Scrapbooks 
Cross Stitch Diary - update my book
Theatre Plays - update my book, complete pages for 2017, 2018 and 2019

Video Games 
complete as many goals on Animal Crossing New Leaf (Nintendo 3DS). Start playing Animal Crossing New Horizons (Nintendo Switch) when it is released on March 20, 2020.

I'll try to be a better blogger in 2020.  Last year I blogged 117 times, which was a lot more than the 8 times in 2018.