Mistakes are such a good way to learn!

OH MY!!!!!! I got what I wished for! KAM snaps in every color imageable!! If you check out this website provided by a reader, you can order any color under the sun! Who knew? Thank you, because the red and green in my kit aren't quite the shades I would like. I see I'll be placing an order, and depending on shipping and other costs, I might send this to someone in the US. WAIT --- I think I know someone who could do this for me!

Thank you for the reference. I had searched online, but that site did not come up, or I didn't scroll down far enough. 

Oh boy -- I'm eating crow this morning. I was working on some machine embroidery designs the other day, and they were so wonky that only someone who "knew what they were doing" could figure out the stitching sequence. I sent a very polite message to the company that sold the designs. 

They GRATIOUSLY sent me a reply in a very timely manner telling me that I had probably loaded the designs into machine embroidery software (yes - I did), and when I sent it to the machine (yes, I did), the color sort settings were on (yes, they were) and that is what it threw it out of whack (yes, it did!)  OH MY GOODNESS - my face was red when I read that email. I should have known better - I know this can happen. 

What was amazing is that the company was so POLITE about my error. I'm sure they were snickering the entire time they composed the email and calling me an idiot (which I was) while they wrote it. I wrote back and thanked them for their kind response, and they wrote back—this scenario happens more than I think! 

How can this be prevented? Well, turn off that colorsort option, which is now OFF. And secondly, change any duplicate colors to separate colors, so if the color sort is on, the stitches won't get combined when the file is transferred. That was a dumb mistake, but in a way I'm happy it happened. I will NOT forget that mistake. 

See --- the mistake was a very good thing. I had often told people that it could happen, but it had never happened to me. But when it did, I didn't clue into what had happened. So the fact that I mentioned it to the company, and they responded (so kindly), will make me never forget. If a design starts to be wonky, it's all about the color sort.

And I have a new story to relate when I'm teaching!!!

I will go back into the software later today and see the issue and the duplicate colors. In my books, every block of stitching should be in a different color, so this doesn't happen. Or turn off the color sort! 

That sort of leads me into this story. If you were building an expensive house and putting all your heart and soul into it, would you be willing to listen to feedback from others about some of your design choices? There's a bit of a debate right now about where to place the couple's bed. I know -- a first-world problem. But the majority of their viewers think they didn't put it in the right spot to enjoy the now-magnificent views from their home. 

They are going to put the bed in the same place the previous owners had, and their comment was, "We want to keep things the way they were," yet they have completely changed the house, including adding a wall of windows. I know it's just a stance to back up their decision, but you know what? It's OK to say you didn't really give it much thought and perhaps you made a mistake! Maybe they also need to make mistakes to feel better about their decisions. 

I commented that just because the old house had the bed in that spot doesn't mean they have to. And the fact that they hard-wired electrical outlets and lights, so the bed can only be in one place, is not very forward-thinking. One guy commented, "How would I like someone to tell me what to do in my house?" Good grief— I would take anyone's feedback and evaluate it, especially during the design stage. While I'm not open to change, I'm open to suggestions that I will evaluate, and if the idea is better, then I'll go for it! 

Anyway --- I love suggestions, and as long as there is a rationale for it, I'm up for it. What I don't like these days are the thousands of design ideas and suggestions that people take from other social media platforms. So many of them are fake and probably not feasible. But it's incredible how many people fall for the ideas and try to replicate them, and are very disappointed! One that recently came to mind was an angled storage cubbie under a staircase, with a skinny, straight door! People --- LOOK!!! It's not real!

It was a wild night at our house. I went to bed a bit early because I had trouble sleeping the night before. I get my best sleep between 8 PM and midnight - thank goodness for that. Miss Murphy was in the room with me, but decided to go downstairs shortly after midnight. Then she started barking, like the house was on fire! I ran downstairs to find her frantically barking at the back door. What the heck is she barking about? First, I got her to stop and then glanced out, and while I was scouring the backyard, she started barking again. 

I couldn't spot a thing. Then I heard and saw a raccoon, possibly two, scaling a tree in the forest. Good grief --- it's only a raccoon!

I had to drag her upstairs and close her in the bedroom with me. She hates being locked in a room and paced and fussed for hours! But that was better than her barking like a mad dog! Needless to say, I didn't get a good sleep AGAIN!

I barely did any work yesterday. I know - a total slug, and I'm OK with that. I think I needed a mental break, and yesterday was the last day I could do that. I have UFO homework due by Sunday, and I have plans for Saturday. That leaves today and tomorrow to get that work done! 

But I did clear off the cutting table and the other work tables, so I'm prepped and ready to sew. I even cut a wee bit of fabric in preparation for today. And for some reason, my back was fatigued, so I sat with the hot pad and a pill for part of the day! I feel better today, but I'm off to the gym shortly to see Brooke. 

Let's say that I am NOT good at swallowing caplets. And when it starts to dissolve, the taste is disgusting. I should NOT have bought caplets, but I thought I could manage since one of my daily supplements is a big caplet. Sigh...............

By the looks of Murphy and Lexi yesterday, they are back on the hunt for another rabbit in the backyard. Sigh..................   Will the rabbits ever learn that our backyard is NOT safe for them? Where is the Rabbit Gazette to pass along that vital bit of information? 

MOM -- we smell another rabbit!

And Murphy was in a tizzy even during the day. I caught her sleeping in this bed, which neither of them sleeps in anymore since it got moved to the corner. That's where Murphy's blankets reside with toys wrapped in them. But I found her curled up on the edge. Maybe she missed my SIL—hmmm—we have to give her a name—KU—perfect!. Perhaps Murphy missed KU, since she left for a couple of weeks in the morning. 

MOM - I'm sad! KU is gone!

How comfortable is that? 

Mom - just hanging out

The wee bits of ice are almost gone from the driveway. The weather is so warm these days that it's doing a great job of clearing everything. 

Oh my -- I'm back from the gym. Good grief - my arms and upper body are going to be sore tomorrow! My abs were sore from yesterday's workout, so I couldn't do any more today! 

I'll walk the girls and maybe have a nap, and then I'll have the entire day to get myself organized! 

I haven't harassed anyone about setting goals for 2026, but has anyone started thinking about them? What things do you want to accomplish in 2026? I have a few things on the agenda. But whatever goals you make, be sure they fit the SMART model. Check it out: without a realistic goal or a timeline, it's useless and won't work. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!