New years goals...

Thought it would be a laugh to look back at my post from the beginning of the year and see which ones I actually kept!

1. Recycle all tetrapack cartons (juice, soya milk etc.). So far I have four cartons in the recycling box and none in the bin. Yes this one I did manage to do, we're recycling all our cartons
   
2. Take part in this "paper adventure". Mini book is done, I haven't done the first prompt yet but I have planned it. Um yeah managed about 5 weeks of this!
   
3. Go to the gym five times in the next month. I haven't been yet, but am planning to go at least once by the end of the week. I'm almost certain I didn't do this.
   
4. Don't buy any new craft supplies until March 2008. OK with this so far although I am going to need some blank cards soon to re-stock my etsy shop which is getting a bit depleted. Again, almost certain I didn't do this.
   
5. No new clothes in January (charity shop clothes are ok). Well as mentioned above I need to change this one. So it now will read: Have at least one "no new clothes" month every six months. Didn't do this either but I do think a lot more about buying new clothes now and try to look for better quality clothes.
   
6. New one: Be more organised by planning meals for the week, planning activities for the week and re-organising cluttered parts of the house. I've started this by getting a diary (actually it was free and I've covered it to make it more attractive, photos to follow), I've planned the meals for the week and I've started planning what tasks I need to do each week. I also invested in some DVD storage units to tidy the piles of DVDs, CDs and Wii games in our lounge. Well I do still plan meals for the week but the cleaning/de-cluttering isn't going so well!
   
7. New one: Look for ways to reuse rather than recycle where possible. Try to find a new way every month and write a tutorial for it where possible. I have an idea for this already that I need to try out. Think I managed 2 of these??

I think the lesson here is that new years resolutions (or goals!) don't work. I do have one for next year though but think I'll keep that to myself for now.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Merry Christmas!

It's starting to feel and look like Christmas around here so thought it was time to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!





P.S The decoration was really easy- baubles, ribbon and a few knots here and there!

See you in 2009!

A list

Pinched this from manda.

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon (no but I've walked one!)
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run (does it count if it was in wii sports?)
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo's david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies.
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person.
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee..

Thank you

Thank you so much for all your lovely and supportive comments. It's so nice to know I'm not alone and many of you feel the same. I am feeling much better now. My dissertation was handed in on Thursday, the last of my custom orders were posted yesterday and I feel like I'm more on top of things.

Having said all that, I do want to take a break from making to sell and focus on making for fun. It may be that some of the things I make for fun end up being for sale but that's not going to be my main aim for a little while.

So the shops will stay open but anything that gets added will likely be one offs. No more mass producing for a while (if ever again!)

On the verge...

of quitting selling my cards and crafts.

This has been such a stressful few weeks for so many reasons and I want to be making things for fun, not with the pressure of selling them and having other people receive them and maybe not like them :(

It's stopped being fun.

Which means that maybe I should stop doing it.

New York New York...

...was fabulous.

Advent

Happy December 1st. Wow, I can't believe it's December already- time is a-flying.

I can't make any rash promises like I'm going to post every day until Christmas in the style of a blog advent calendar but I will try and post some nice Christmas type things over the weeks leading up to the big day.

I've been saving ideas and tutorials from various blogs that I want to do for Christmas but if you were to see my to-do list you'd know that I'm unlikely to manage most of them. So here are a few that have caught my eye...

• I love paper garlands so I do hope to make some of these from Design*Sponge
• Cardboard wreath by Elise, so cute!
• Quilled paper ornaments- great use of magazines
  

I'm off on an adventure later this week and I can't wait, I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

P.S. I've reopened the post box for submissions for the fab flower collaboration so email me if you want in.

Oh OK, here's a clue about where my I'm off to on my adventure...


P.P.S Buy my Christmas cards