Weekly update

Well, I did manage to do other things besides stitch this week...got halfway through day 2 of Disney pics, got some much needed house maintenance done, and even exercised (once). But the urge to do non-stop stitching is still there and still eating away at me, which is why I've ended up staying up late every night to get caught back up stitching. I've finished four full pages in 2 1/2 weeks...yeah, that scares even me. Row three is now done:


And I've gotten this far in row 4:


I tried to start a simpler project to deflect my OCD, but I couldn't find the right material to use for the project (or yet I just found another excuse to obsess over little Miss Pea). I honestly think that if my Scottish pride and dedication to my job wasn't so strong, I'd probably call in my first sick day in 13 years and stay home tomorrow just to stitch. Luckily, my Scottish blood is stronger than my stupid psycho issues and I will be at work tomorrow as per usual.

On the diet front...lots of mixed news. I'm back on full track now and dropping pounds like crazy! It may only be 34 pounds working with Dr. Meanie-Pants, but it's almost 60 total since I started this journey. I've figured out that one cheat day and one alcohol day a week (because some days a girl needs to have a glass a wine after a rough day!) works much better than following the diet to the letter and then falling off the wagon in a big way (wish I could have figured that out three pizza binges ago!).

Exercising has been another matter altogether. Although I was exercising before I started the Doctor diet (in preparation for Disney walking), I can count on less than one hand how many times I've done it since. The side effects of not exercising through the really big body-changing stage of these past 34 pounds is really starting to show on my body now. The loose skin and wrinkles are really worrying me (although no one else can see them but me). It might be the reason why I've been self-sabotaging the diet in the first place...if I look bad and old and wrinkly, I'll want to stop.

Here's where I have to bit honest with myself...I've never been skinny, and I haven't been this weight since I was a very young teenager and it's frightening the life out of me. I don't know how to be anything but fat and being fat is a very protective thing for someone with social issues. Fat people don't get noticed (at least not in good ways) and when we get noticed in the bad ways, it forces us deeper into our shells (which is where I like to be). But I'm determined to do this (although I'm not really sure why or what my motivation is at the moment, but I'm sure there is a method to my madness, there usually is), so I'll have to exercise for the sake of my vanity if I don't want to look like a prune!

So for the upcoming week, I vow to exercise, even if it's in a small way, every day the entire week. Here's hoping, anyway! Oh, and I also vow to be in bed by no later than 12:30 am every night as well (if you're gonna vow, might as well do it in full force - although obviously tonight doesn't count since it's already past 1 am!).

I'll leave you with the most exciting news of all...the little brothers have bonded! There is a lot of snuggle-bunny action going on the Blair household now and I absolutely LOVE it!!

January IHSW results

The first International Hermit and Stitch Weekend is close enough to over that I think it's safe to stop for the night.

I got stuck at work late on Friday, so I didn't get much done that night. Here is where I started on Friday:


And made it here:


I ended up sleeping until late afternoon on Saturday (takes me forever to get to sleep, but once I'm there, it takes a military action to get me up), so not much progress then:


Today was better because I got up early afternoon, but even after an almost full day of stitching, still not much to show for it:


There was a lot of gap fill-in work, so it makes it look like I didn't get a lot done, but I worked non-stop the entire waking weekend, seemingly changing colors every five minutes. I've got to stop stitching so much because I'm letting too many things go by the wayside...I think I've forgotten how to do laundry. I've also got to crack down and start exercising as well as working on Disney pics. My OCD is solely stitch-focused right now and it's starting to get out of hand. Maybe if I make it through row three this week, knowing that the mattress levels are coming up next, it will slow me down...the mattress levels are going to be hideously boring!

IHSW-2014

Got myself signed up for the first International Hermit and Stitch Weekend of 2014!!! I've pretty much been in hermitting and stitching mode for a month now anyway, but I'm using this weekend as my last ditch effort to turn out a bunch of stitch work before I have to break down and start working on the Disney pics (or it will be the end of the year before I get them finished). So don't forget to sign up over at Joysze's site HERE and good luck to everybody!

Stitch demon!

It's amazing what I can accomplish when I'm trying to avoid sorting Disney pictures! I actually got a chunk of row three finished this weekend:

Rare mid-week stitch update

I don't usually do this mid-week, but excitement abounds...I've finished row two!!!

Diet woes

I was bad in Disney world and even worse during Christmas, I concede that fact 110%...but I've been good for two weeks now and I'm barely losing anything. Talk about frustrating! Granted, everyone has their stuck times and this may be mine, but that doesn't keep my stomach from constantly growling or my brain from constantly thinking about food. You'd think that eventually both organs would give up and just realize they are SOL. I'm at the lowest weight I've been since I was 16, but I still can't seem to reach that magical threshold of below 200.

A co-worker told me today that your body has a weight it likes and it will fight to stay there. Mine must be 200-220. I didn't have this much hunger craving when I started this mess at 245. Next week better see a miraculous amount of dropped pounds or I can't guarantee I won't end up at some Chinese restaurant somewhere stuffing my face. I could probably eat more right this minute than I ever could when I was in the 260's/280's. It just all seems so unfair.

Before I hit double digits in age, my step-dad told me "you better lose that weight now before you start your periods or you'll always be fat". That has been echoing in my head a lot these past couple of weeks. I used to think he was just being his usual mental-abusive self, but for once, I have to say the man had a point. Being fat sucks.

2014 Stitch Goals

I've decided to set my stitching goals for 2014 myself. I never really cared for trying to complete and post progress by a certain day of the month (although I will try to post around the first). I'm also going to be a bit more conservative than last year, I just set the bar way too high.

I've got three projects on the burner as it is, and my goal is to finish all three. I'm not a fan of multi-projects...it's just been too stressful and I usually only ever want to work on just one. From now on, I am going to limit myself to just two at a time. But the three in the works are:

The Princess And The Pea:

I'm starting the year here:


A Summer Ball:

Starting here:


And finally, 35th Anniversary Celebration:

Which is stuck here:


I still want to start Sleepy Hollow Mural and I already have all the supplies and have the material stretched for it.


But more than likely, once The Princess And The Pea is finished, I will be starting Alice and the Bouguereau Princesses:


I would like to try to see how fast a HAED Quick Stitch or a mini goes compared to their regular stitches and I've got a good variety to choose from in my stash.

If I do somehow manage to finish either A Summer Ball or 35th Anniversary Celebration, I would like to start another non-Disney/non-Jasmine Becket-Griffith project, maybe something on linen. We'll just have to see what happens. I'm only dedicating myself to finishing the three on the fire and anything else will be a nice bonus. I've got no plans for a gifting project this year either, but again, you never know. Guess it depends on how bad work goes or how many Disney trips I end up taking this year!