Embroidery It Forward Strong Goals Update

Dear Friends,
You may remember my post from January 1st this year (you can find it HERE).  I have been reviewing my goals monthly in my journal but wanted to give you an update in this post now that we are a third of the way through the year.  By posting on my blog it just helps me be more accountable.

FORWARD has been my word for the year with the word STRONG as it's modifier.  After having a difficult 2013, God has been using the word Forward to get me moving and on track.  Just like Moses leading the Israelites out of the desert to the promised land.  Unlike them, I have been trying hard to listen to God's word and obey His commands.  I don't want to take 40 years like they did.  Smiles

So I will quickly review my goals with their update written in red.  I have changed some goals along the way as I've felt the need.  As I mentioned in my other post, these goals are fluid and can be changed.  I'm ok with that.

Family Goals

• Spend quality time with family when they are home.  Say 'yes' to family games and movies. YES - Doing this.
• Visit Katie and Emily twice a year Visited Katie before she left for Kuwait.  Will see Emily this summer

Home Goals

• Remove paper from the home and keep remaining paper organized (#1 goal and more on this below)  Making progress
• Tidy home daily  Yes, for the most part
• Clean home weekly Yes, for the most part
• Grocery shop one time a week- instead of several times a week I have been getting better and better at this and have been doing it well over the past 6 weeks.
• Menu plan weekly Ugh, No - I need to do this
• Go to bed with a clean kitchen About 50% of the time

Spiritual Life Goals

• Continue habits of Daily Audio Bible and weekly adoration in addition to Sunday church YES
• Become actively involved in the women's group at church Not yet but plan to. I have been attending another activity that conflicts with the date and time the women's group meets.
• Read St. Faustina's Diary No
• Attend a women's retreat like Captivating No
• Notice God's blessings daily Yes and I've started journaling about God's blessings

Finance Goals

• Pay bills every Thursday No, they get paid, just not on the schedule I'd like for them to.
• Pause before making purchases Yes
• Balance checkbook and reconcile credit card statements monthly No

Friendship Goals

• Become actively involved in the women's group at church Not yet, see above
• Join Crafters with a Cause Not yet but plan to this summer
• Maintain monthly contact with friends from New Mexico and other locations we've lived YES
• Grow online friendships on this blog Yes!!!

Creativity Goals

• Take one art class or attend a quilt guild meeting - monthly  I did for only a couple of months.  Going to Michigan Embroiderers Spring Fest in May.  I take online digitizing classes weekly.
• Learn a new craft I took a quilting class
• Learn to digitize embroidery designs  Yes!!!

Knowledge Goals

• Learn a new craft  Took a quilting class
• Learn to digitize embroidery designs  Yes!!!
• Learn to set up a true website  Currently in the process of doing this

Business Goals

• Follow written business plan and get my business up and running (stop talking and start doing here) YES! One other thing I have been doing is attending GROW, Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, and through it I have been learning all the in's and out's of running a business in  Michigan.  My business has started as you  know I've been getting my designs up at Embroidery Ranch and sales have started trickling in.  BIG Smiles!  Also starting in May I am taking an online business class geared specifically for crafters selling their work.
• Create a true website Currently in the process of doing.  I need to focus more though on really getting it up and running.
• Learn to digitize embroidery designs  YES!!!
• Blog 2  times a week  No but I strive to do this.  I've been focusing more on digitizing.
• Listen to Entrepreneur on Fire  Sporadic
• Develop a newsletter  Not yet
• Create a contact list  Not yet

Personal Goals

• Clean eating  Working hard at this.  Still like candy too much.
• 10,000 steps a day  About 50% of the time
• Classical stretch daily  About 5% of the time
• weekly creative time  Most weeks
• New Personal Goal - Lose 20 pounds - Those pounds are stuck to me like glue.

Community and World goals

• Choose a cause to support  Plan to join Crafters with a Cause this summer
• Blog  Yes, but would like to more often
• YouTube videos  I have not made any new videos this year
• Women's group at church  Not yet but plan to

My all time #1 focus goal this year is to get the paper out of the house.  I mean ALL paper. Working at this.  I have made some strides in this.  I know of course that I cannot get ALL paper out, but working to make sure that all paper here in the home has a place.  It honestly feels better not having so much paper around.

Finally, I wrote in my journal earlier this year that it is all about LOVE.  God is Love.  Jesus commands us to Love one another.  "Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love."  Nothing else truly matters than Love when you look at the great big picture of things.  I try to keep that focus in everything I do, for my family, home business, self, etc.  Sometimes I'm not sure how to show love in my business.  Quite honestly that has been a conflict for me.  What I will say is that if you ever need a prayer, send me an e-mail and I will pray for/with you.

So, I keep reviewing these goals and reminding myself of them.  I'm pretty happy with myself that I've accomplished what I have so far.  My business goals are what I've moved forward with the most.  I have learned so much in that area and it is where I can see the greatest strides being made.  When I see the goals that I need to work on, I remember my words of Forward Strong and I try to keep those goals at the front of my thoughts.

Hugs and Blessings to each and every one of you,
Nancy

Heart Applique Quilt Block

Machine Embroidery Painted Flower

My latest design is up at Embroidery Ranch.  It is very light and perfect for knits.  I had a lot of fun creating it using the fluid contour tool in Generations.  Under stores click on Embroidery It to get to this design.  I did it with one color stop so you can choose to do the swirl with either the same color or choose something contrasting.

How is spring coming along in your neck of the woods?  We had another 2 inches of the white stuff a couple days ago.  It is melted now and there are flower buds poking their heads up through the ground.  Being that this is the first spring in our new home, I'm anxious to see what has been planted here.  I'm thinking tulips, daffodils and maybe crocus?  Flowers coming soon and I cannot wait!!!!
Blessings everyone,
Nancy

Generations Challenge using the Satin Tool

For this month's challenge over at You Can Digitize the only tool we were allowed to digitize with was the satin tool and to use the features built into the satin tool.  I used the border feature to create the outlines and the feather stitch feature to create the eyelashes.  Everyone in the challenge used the same unicorn artwork.  I'm not a cartoon gal when it comes to my embroidery.  I prefer more realistic designs, but this made for good practice.
Blessings,
Nancy

Getting Ready for Easter

My latest design is up at Embroidery Ranch.  It is two designs in one.  The first comes with the words, "Happy Easter" included with the design.  The second is a blank for you to fill in with words and font of your choice.  I used a built in font from my machine to stitch "KATIE".

The design fits a 4 x 4 hoop and would be perfect on a liner used in an Easter basket.  Each recipient would know whose basket is whose.  :-)

As for what else has been happening, Timothy and I took the Amtrak to Hutchinson to visit my parents this past week over his spring break.  It was a lovely visit with perfect weather.  We've returned back to Grand Rapids and the snow is all gone except for where it was in piles from the snow plow.  Best of all....I see some flower leaves poking their heads up through the ground.  That makes me very happy.

Hugs and Blessings everyone,
Nancy