Happy New Year and Christmastide Sampler parts 8 & 9

Happy New Year!  My wish for you all is for peace, prosperity, and good health (along with good eyesight, a bright light, and all the stitching supplies you require)!   

Seems lately nothing has gone as planned, but I'm learning to roll with the punches.  I hope this isn't a taste of what the year will be...if so...please pray for me!!  LOL!!  Our New Years Eve plans changed when a storm blew through.  The weather was crazy with high winds, thunder and lightening so we stayed put, playing games and such until DH decided he needed a nap and tapped out a few hours before the ball dropped in NYC.  I woke him up in time to ring in the new year...but that gave me time to finish a small piece I had been working on, and to fully finish another that has been plaquing me for weeks.  Sometimes the creative juices just refuse to flow!!  

New Years Day was supposed to be a pajama day, but the kids had other plans...so we hopped in the shower and drove to Best Buy to order their Christmas gift.  We offered to get them a new TV as their old one has lines running through it (possibly because a tiny hand has been batting at the machine...lol).  So we are including having it mounted on the wall as part of the gift.  It should be there early next week.  Then I took an extended nap...I rarely nap and only then when I'm sick.  I don't feel sick,  just extremely tired and lacking brain cells.    I was able to catch up on Christmastide Sampler SAL and had my annual New Years start on Snowplace Like Home by Primrose Cottage yesterday... and today I've already done part 9 of the sampler.  I started Snowplace Like Home as part of a challenge by the Cross Stitchers of Maryland FB page.  We were to pick a Primrose Cottage pattern to start and stitch during the month of January.  I thought this one was so cute!  

Then I learned today about something called a Blessing Sampler.   A blessing sampler is one that is started and finished in the month of January.  Back in the day it was thought that if a young girl completed a sampler during the month of January it would being blessings to the household during the coming year.  I'm all for that!  I had another project in mind to start in January, but I think I'll put that aside and start on another sampler I've been wanting to stitch!  So...watch this space!  Now for the Christmastide Sampler...I finished part 8 on New Years Day.  So I stitched the Mantle, the Ornaments and the Bells which represented Joy and Gathering.  I thought the bells were pretty!  

Today I stitched part 9 which was the deer that represents gentleness, kindness and creativity.  Only 3 more parts to go!!  

Then maybe I'll get a chance to start Though He Seemeth Sleeping by Lucy Beam.  And on that note I better get off this machine and go put some stitches in!  Oh did I mention I started the Cross Stitch Challenge that requires counting stitches?  I'm hoping to reach 300,000 stitches this year.  Wish me luck!!  Happy Stitching!!