Wow! I cant believe its coming up soon on 2 months with this dream of mine- SoberSewist.com Its funny- when i start thinking of a topic for a blog post, I am wracking my brain… and then POOF- it usually just appears! Seriously- its true! Follow your Dream… I saw it on a sign when I was driving!

Think about this… Did you ever have a dream become a reality? Or, are you still trying to figure out what your dream is? Or, is it that you are helping someone else with their dream? What really does all this even mean?

I do believe that as you get older- your dreams change, they evolve with you, as you are going through life. My dream in high school was wanting to be a teacher! Yup! Yikes- when I think of that-LOL! Being a teacher– takes a special person- not that I’m not a special person 🙂 My best friend, Michelle is a teacher, and yes, she is a special person! She has since retired, and she still does some subbing. Looking at her teaching career- this was the perfect job for her- it was her dream! She LOVED it. She was actually my Jesse’s 3rd grade teacher, which was how we became friends, our kids were close in age, so it worked! So, back to my dream, yes, first it was a teacher… then it was to own my own business- which became a reality for me at age 23 when I bought The Red Arrow, in 1987. My dad had always been my mentor, and it was what I knew- I grew up in the restaurant business, so it was natural for me. Fast forward through the years, husband(s) kids, family, homes, more diners, travel and life goes on…

So… when did my dream change? Hmmm… that’s a good question. I do believe the seed was planted about 6 years ago, when I walked into Martin’s House of Cloth. I was always a sort of crafty person, and this visit brought me there to buy some fleece to make those no-sew tie blankets! When I start something- watch out-I get into it! I made quite a few of these. But this visit to Martin’s had me walking past a women in the corner of the store teaching a girl how to sew… I inquired, and she told me she rents the space and gives sewing lessons. The rest is history. That woman is Doris, and she was my sewing teacher! To this day- she tells me I was her all-star student-LOL I will never forget telling my mom- I’m buying a sewing machine and taking sewing lessons! LOL LOL I tended to start things and go all out and not keep up with them! This was a little different. I remember the first things I learned was pillow cases and aprons. I made my 3 girlfriends these for Christmas that year. I got this crazy “high” picking out the fabric- matching them and thinking about the person, and personalizing it to them as best I could! Believe me when I tell you EVERYONE i knew had a pillowcase from me, and you know, I’m thinking right now, I need to make some and add these on my SoberSewist.com

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I was and still am obsessed with sewing. I remember at a class in Nashua talking with all the ladies- I asked them, “Why is it that you all have 2-3 sewing machines?” They just laughed! It didn’t take me long to figure that one out! (I now have 4!) My new obsession with sewing brought me to the the machine embroidery world! I just couldn’t believe that you could do things like this- ITH. As the years went by making project after project, and pretty much giving it all away- people started saying to me- why don’t you sell this stuff? And there you have it! Here I am The Sober Sewist! Yes, I am sober- and yes I am an alcoholic! Sewing plays a big part in my recovery. Especially in the early days of me getting sober- I’m sure as we go along this Blog journey, my story will be told in bits and pieces along the way… Its coming up on a year- August 4th, 2018 when I went to rehab in Arizona! So, you are probably now thinking, that I am coming up on my 1 year- BIG anniversary of being sober! I wish I could say that- but I can’t. At about my almost 8th month mark… I started slacking with my daily meetings… and kept hearing that slipping up is part of recovery! Hmmm…. so– my mind got the best of me! (obsessing) Thank God, it was only 1 night, about 4 hours. Two things I learned. First, I went right back to drinking the way I always had- which is NOT normal, I am always looking for the next one, and the one after, and so on… and second- I did NOT even enjoy it!- Especially the next morning when the guilt, shame and remorse set in! It sort of still is there- which I know I need to deal with- its called a resentment, and I must let it go, OR it will get the better of me! This is a fact.

This week I am getting my 3 month chip! My new sobriety date is April 28, 2019- and that is OK. My current dream— Receiving My 1 Year Medallion, AND, in my meetings, when they say… “If you have 1 year or more, please raise your hand to show the program works” My hand will be raised so high and proud! I may even bring all of you with me when I get it!

Carol xo

P.S. Pass the word around for your friends and family to subscribe on SoberSewist.com, to be entered at time of each blog post to win a Sober Sewist Bag! Winner announced tomorrow (Monday) to win Progress not Perfection- Blog Post 2 bag!

Wow! 2 weeks LIVE! Its been very exciting to say the least… I think I am finally getting my groove- as they say. I have been trying to finish things that I had committed to and work on Sobersewist.com Lots has been happening. I re-joined WW (the new name for Weight Watchers) You see, this (my weight) is always on my mind- always having to lose weight, and then the real hard part- keeping it off. I had been doing on and off the Keto for a while- and quite frankly, it wasn’t working- for me. I don’t think I was balancing the macros correctly – eating too much fat! Yup` that will do it-lol I really wasn’t making any progress- so I decided to give WW a try- AGAIN! Well- first week, I lost 3.4! I was so excited!, and the second week another 2.2! Holy crap- total of 5.6!– and a record for me!- honestly, I had NEVER EVER gone to WW consecutively for 3 weeks- ever! I always joined- went once and then quit! But this time, I am making progress- and it feels good. I feel good! Do you?

Isn’t that really what day to day is all about…. Progress Not Perfection. As long as we are progressing in the right direction-and sometimes it may not be the right direction- and that’s OK as long as we recognize it, and work on it… slowly but surely… My dad always (and still does) use this phrase with us… “Inch by inch is a cinch” OH, and there is 1 more… “yard by yard is hard” We used to laugh when he said this- but it is so true! I saw a poster on the wall at WW and it really got me thinking. Not only for a subject for my next blog- but really how important this phrase is… (not to mention the zippered bag it is on!-lol) It can pertain to lots of things in everyday life… Like, for me, If I am working on a quilt (which, by the way is really not my favorite thing to do- but they make great gifts), and I do some work every day- that’s progress… When I go to my meetings, and I make an effort to scout out a new person and welcome them- that’s not only progress, but also helping me stay sober. I never understood that in the beginning of my sober life… But I do now… “One day at a time” Progress not Perfection” “Inch by Inch is a Cinch” “Yard by Yard is Hard”

When I read these- I think-Powerful!

Lets go back to the zippered bag from the WW wall… I just love those colors together. My absolute favorite thing to do when I start anything- is picking the right fabric and matching them up- This is the part when I feel I am really creating- I love funky bold colors and patterns- my absolute favorite designer is Tula Pink! (look below) Talk about bold!- so colorful- so many different patterns and elements that you would never think would go together- Like matching plaid with stripes or lines with dots!

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Ok… so back to Progress not Perfection… How are you progressing in your day to day? Do you strive for perfection? Or are you happy with making progress… I think for me, as I get older, I am happy with the small progressions… for me, its ok, if its not perfect! Wow- I think Im growing up! LOL

Carol xo

Hello and Welcome to my very first ever Blog! If you would have told me I would be doing this I would have said- NO WAY! I will be blogging (lol) every 2 weeks. So, you will hear all about me and things happening in my life- so get ready for a crazy, exciting ride!

I thought it would be kind of cool to title my first one – Do What You Love- because that’s just what I am doing. Life is way too short to NOT do what you love… Let me tell you a little bit about what brought me to this place, and I’m sure as we go- i will be filling it all in. I don’t want to give away too much all at once…

Born on November 21, 1963… had a pretty average life- great mom and dad, I was the oldest, and I have a younger brother, Brian and a younger sister, Cathy. I grew up in the restaurant business- so it was natural for me to follow in the same footsteps… I bought my first “diner” in september of 1987- I was 23! Wow- when I think of that… now… 32 years later, a couple more diners and now in partnership with my dad- (Yikes!), a couple of husbands, My son, Tyler, daughter, Dawn, and granddaughters, Raury and Alex and grandson, Dominik!- OH and I can’t forget my dogs!- Molly, Charles and Stuart!- oops- and husband, Darryl!

So- you are probably asking… what does this have to do with- The Sober Sewist? That’s a good question- Well, in a nutshell, I started taking sewing lessons about 5-6 years ago. My teachers name was Doris- I LOVED it– The first thing I learned was sewing pillowcases! Oh man– I think I made well over 500! EVERY single person that knows me has one to prove it– My favorite part was matching the colors and patterns– it gives me chills thinking about it now.

One thing led to another and then another– My first machine was my Babylock Sofia 2! I still have it and LOVE it. It does embroidery- just a small hoop, so I figured I would try a class on embroidery– Oh boy!!! I made this snowman mug rug! I just could not believe you could do something like that- I was completely 100% Hooked! REALLY BAD! Well, it didn’t take me too long to figure out I couldn’t really do a whole lot with that small hoop- so….. Yup- I started upgrading my machine— after my first “exchange” – I figured out quickly, I needed to have 2 machines so I could do something while the other was embroidering– so I quickly raced back to see Ruthie and bought my babylock back! Then I kept going to different embroidery classes and I kept upgrading my sewing machines– I was into Pfaff’s– and got as high as the Pfaff Icon- but I just wasn’t feeling it- and recently I traded that in for my now, Babylock Solaris!!!! I am in love- Im a “babylock” girl! I am very fortunate with my “diner” business over the years, so I have a lot of time to be home and be in my amazing sewing room- sewing! My brother once told me that I sew “abnormally”- that’s definetely for another blog…

I will end with 2 things, first, the “sober” part of the Sober Sewist…(short version) August 4th, 2018, I had what you would call an intervention-and I went to a rehab for 30 days in Tucson, AZ I was very depressed, isolating a lot, and was really really enjoying my wine– way too much. There, is where I learned I was an alcoholic. This was much harder for my family and friends to accept, than myself to admit. I left Sierra Tucson and came home, scared as Hell, but also equipped with lots of tools for me to tackle this new life of mine!

The second thing is this– Do What You Love- which is exactly what I am doing! My life is awesome- yes, of course I have struggles- who the heck doesn’t? I just started a new business, a new website, a new blog- and it’s ALL about Sewing! WOW! How lucky am I??? And there is one thing for sure– never ever could I do all this NOT being sober.