new year, new you (not really)

More like, "New Year, same you, but maybe with some new resolutions."

Ok, I'm going to make some resolutions for this New Year, but before I get to those, it's probably time to see how I did on my 2008 resolutions (graded on a 4-star scale).

2008 Craft-Related Resolutions

1. RIIIPPPIIITT! I pledge to actually frog those projects that are unflattering, undesirable or otherwise unwearable.

I did some of this, but probably not as much as I could have. I give myself 2 stars. **

2. Reorganize the Craft Closet.

Did not get to this at all. Ugh. Zero stars.

3. Get back to sewing more of my clothes.

Hmm, made some progress on sewing my clothes, but where I really succeeded was in sewing more of Vivian's clothes (especially in the summer). I made up an adorable swing tank top pattern with shoulder ties that I'll need to upsize for her this summer. I'll give myself 3 stars. ***

4. Finally finish knitting Richard’s sweater.

Um, yeah. Did not touch it. No stars.

2008 General Life Resolutions

1. Exercise.

When I worked at my old job downtown, I actually did really well on this. I was hitting the gym 2-3 times per week during my lunch break, which was up from zero times per week. However, I don't have easy access to a gym at the new job, so I've really fallen off the wagon. I'll give myself 1 star for my efforts in the early part of the year. *

2. Better organize Vivian’s nursery.

I did a good job here. We added a shelf above the changing table for her diapers and other paraphernalia, as well as a book/toy case, and storage under her crib for clothes she's outgrown. 4 stars. ****

3. Cook dinner at least 3 nights a week.

I'm glad to say that we got back into the habit of cooking. Eating at home isn't always cheaper (especially since we love high-quality ingredients), but I know that it's better to maintain control over what goes into my family's stomachs! 4 stars. ****

4. Start a college fund for Vivian.

Um, didn't do it, but hey! If I work at my current job for another 14 1/2 years, Viv gets free tuition! Ok, no, that doesn't really count. But if I had started a college fund, it probably would have been eaten up by the stock market collapse... Still no excuse, I know. Zero stars.

And now for the 2009 resolutions

1. Entertain more. I love to entertain, but I have felt that our apartment was too small or too messy to have people over. But no more! I want to invite people over at least once a month, either for dinner, wine & twine, game night, etc. I think that is fully doable.

2. Curb unnecessary spending. Lately, I've been a bit too free with the credit cards. First, it was to rebuild my work wardrobe. After emptying my closet of all my maternity clothes to send to my sister, I decided to fully go through my clothes to get rid of all the stuff that was too small, stained, ill-fitting or just ugly. So I decided to purchase some new items to build it back up. And then the holidays came, and holiday travel. And a few after-Christmas sales (like here and here). But I'm done now. I'll make an interim resolution for no more credit card purchases for the 1st quarter (through March)—with an exception for travel expenses (like reserving our cabin for Tahoe).

3. Be a better friend. I was an infrequent correspondent with many friends in 2008. I had a young baby, and I used that as an excuse. Not that I wasn't busy, but in hindsight, I wish I had reached out to my dear friends more frequently.

4. Take better care of myself physically. When I was pregnant with Vivian, I was incredibly on top of my physical health, because Vivian's health and development depended on me. But since she was born, I've not taken as good care of myself. So this year, I'm going to make (and keep) some very necessary doctor's appointments because I need to be healthy, yes for my family, but also for myself.

5. Be a good wife, not just a good mom. I can count on my fingers the total number of times Rich and I went out, just the two of us. It's been hard, since we don't have family locally, but we need some time just for us, so I need to get more comfortable getting a babysitter. So many people offered to babysit when Viv was little, and we didn't takem them up on it. Well, if you've offered in the past, get ready to get hit up again! I pledge that Rich & I will go out at least once a month, just the two of us. (as an aside, if any LA-based friends can recommend a good babysitter, or want to exchange babysitting dates, let me know!)

6. Craft from my stash. I have so much yarn and fabric in my stash—a whole closet full! I am going to craft from my stash, and in fact, I will buy no new yarn or fabric for the 1st quarter of the year (through March)—exception only for finishing elements or embellishments (quilt batting, zippers, ribbon, etc.).

7. Bake! I love to bake, but I hardly did any in 2008 (with the exception of an awesome Chocolate Pecan Pie for Friends Thanksgiving and a sinful Praline Brookie—cookie-topped brownie—for Vivian's daycare holiday potluck). I am going to try the no-knead bread, the NYT famous cookie recipe and other fab baked goods this year.

I also have some more personal resolutions that I'll keep to myself, but I think that the ones I've listed here are enough to work on. Concrete enough to follow, but flexible enough to deal with life's ups and downs.

How about you? Are you making resolutions this year?

Christmastime is here

I finally feel like it's Christmas. I've been trying to get the holiday spirit since Thanksgiving: listening to Christmas music, wrapping gifts, decorating my cube at work, watching Christmas specials on TV, etc. But nothing was working. It felt like any other time of year, only slightly colder (I do live in LA, you know, so it's a brr cold 65 degrees).

But yesterday, Richard braved a trip to the Home Depot tree lot and brought home a super-fresh Noble fir. The smell of the tree automatically transported me into Christmas Town.

We managed to get the tree set up, complete with lights and gold ribbon, while Vivian was taking her afternoon nap. This was great because we didn't have to worry about her getting underfoot while positioning the tree. However, we didn't anticipate Vivian freaking out when she saw the tree in the living room! It is a major change to her living space, so we should have guessed that she would be apprehensive, but oh well.

Rich & I had grand hopes of Vivian actually helping to decorate the tree this year, but we were a bit too optimistic. She loved how pretty the ornaments were, but she didn't understand why we wanted to take them out of her hands to put on the tree. She spent most of our decorating time walking around holding 2-3 different ornaments. She only broke 2—one cheap ball that shattered when she tried to bounce it, and a glass angel whose wing snapped off when she tripped. The angel can be fixed, assuming that I can find the super glue.

After we finished decorating the tree, I looked for our Santa tree topper. I normally pack it separately because it doesn't fit into our ornament storage boxes. Unfortunately, it wasn't in any of my normal hiding/storage spots: Vivian's closet, the space above my wardrobe, the high shelf in my craft closet. It appears to be gone, which makes me sad because it's the topper Richard & I have used since we graduated college.

Well, I may have been sad, but I couldn't have our tree be naked on top. So I flipped through some vintage Christmas craft magazines, hoping to be inspired to make a topper. A 1964 McCall's Christmas Make-It magazine showed a cool and kind of creepy St. Nick on the cover that I really liked. I didn't have the materials to copy it exactly, but it did have the look I wanted.

So I decided to raid my craft supply stash to make a vintage-inspired angel tree topper. I figured an angel has more leeway than a Santa in how it looks, so I was more free to make use of available supplies. (good thing I have a craft supply stash—you just never know when you'll have a crafting emergency like this!)

And here is what we ended up with: a geisha-style, vintage-inspired angel. Made from the inner tube of a paper towel roll, foam, an old pair of nylons, a piece of peach-colored silk, felt, wool roving, wired ribbon, a rubber band, vintage millinery feathers and glue. I am really happy with how she turned out. I think she fits in well with our tree.



No naked tree here!

New project wander lust

It's starting to get down to the wire, holiday-craft-wise. My first crafts have to be done by next Friday, as we are heading up to the Bay Area to do Christmas with my dad and my girlfriends. And yet I am still finding new project ideas that I have no business starting! So I am going to continue the list I started in my last post of things I can't start until after Christmas.

1. The very cool memory game that I first saw on Apartment Therapy's Ohdeeoh. How cool would it be to have a game made with pictures of things you actually remember! I definitely need to make this for Vivian at some point. She's a bit young to actually appreciate it yet, so maybe it's something I'll file away to do for Christmas next year.

2. This adorable baby poncho that was available on BabySteals (sold out, but still available at 45% off on the Skipping Hippos site). I may decide to make this as a present for one or more toddlers I know. I think I even have the fleece to make at least one; I'd just need the trim (because the trim is really what makes it so cute). I know that ponchos are a no-no for crawlers, but I think they can be a good solution for toddlers that don't like to put their arms in the sleeves of bulky coats.

Why does this happen to me? Why am I suddenly so dissatisfied with all of my Christmas projects? I actually like them all well enough, but I think the pressure of the fact that I need to finish them is overwhelming the fact that I want to finish them.

Grr.

Yes, I have the attention span of a gnat

I have a serious case of Short Attention Span Theater right now.

As I posted yesterday, I have several projects that I need to finish in less than a month. So why is my brain buzzing with new projects—ones that I patently cannot start until after the holidays?

In an effort to catalog them, and get them out of my system (at least for a month), I'm going to list those ideas here.

1. I've been inspired by this Apartment Therapy post to paint my boring Ikea wardrobe a bright yellow. A couple of months ago, I successfully stripped and painted a Victorian-style side table, so I know I can do it. I think it will help bring even more color and design to my bedroom.

2. My sister Jenny bought me a gift certificate to SuperCrafty! for my birthday and I just used to to buy some Malabrigo Merino Worsted yarn in Sapphire Green. It's so beautiful. I am just itching to cast on for a Liesl sweater for me because I think it would be so yummy in this color.

3. I saw this beautiful letter quilt highlighted on the Spoonflower blog, and I want to make one for Vivian.

4. I'd love to make my winter coat before, you know, winter is over.

5. Every knitter I know is making cowls, which seem to be the must-have accessory this winter. I need one. I've got several skeins of sock yarn that will never be made into socks, no matter how many times I say I'm going to make them, so a cowl would be a good use.

Ok, I think that's it, at least those are the projects that I'm obsessing over right now. Gah!

I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.
I must finish gifts for others before starting something for myself.