New Year Happy Dance and Heartbreak

I hope all had a wonderful New Years!!! Mine was a mix as the title of this post states. I had a happy dance that was also a heartbreak!! I was happily stitching away on Taj Mahal New Years day when I looked closely at the fabric, and how large the stitching area was starting to take up. I had finished the center medallion and was starting to work on the first Taj Mahals, when something did not look right. Out came my measuring tape and sure enough, the fabric was not large enough. Now in all the years that I have been stitching, this is the absolute first time that I did not calculate correctly, or so I thought. With the measuring tape, I found that the evenweave that I had purchased at a Micheals store, was not the size that was indiciated on the packaging. I am throught disgusted that said fabric was actually almost a 2 full inches smaller then the 20 x 27 inches I thought I was purchasing. It would have been tight on the sides, but should have been large enough to complete the project. After a little bit of frogging, I have a very pretty center medallion completed. And with further disgust, I got online and order replacement crystals, beads and threads. I also purchased a piece of fabric that is well oversized for the project so that this horror does not occur again.
So for my New Year's resolution? I will only purchase my needed cross-stitch supplies from online sources. Micheals and other local craft store will only be used for emergency supplies, and DMC when on sale!!
Unfortunately, because of the heartache, and anger over the failed attempt at Taj, I do not have any pictures. It was even a few days before I could pick up any cross-stitch.

For now, I will post my Stitching Goals for 2009

* finish Tah Mahal Mandala
* finish TW Fantasy Sampler
* finish HAED Forest Light QS
* finish at least 2 UFOs
* work on HAED Unicorn and Foal, 3 Graces and Earth QS
* start stash for Egypt Garden Mandala
* start Firefly Faires
* start Bluebeard's Mermaid
* organize all charts, fabrics and fibers in stash
* finish 2 cross-stitch sweatshirts for Christmas presents

Of course with all other lists people make of this nature, I'm sure new items will be added!!
Tomorrow, my goals for January, and hopefully some pictures!!