An End of Year Plan of Attack

I realized that life got in the way, and I never published my Pile and a Plan post. I will soon, but here's my general ramblings that came up as I thought about my pile of fabric and patterns that I've yet to begin on. 

Due to minor health issues and an overwhelming influx of sewing orders for Christmas, I’ve yet to complete any of the items of clothing I planned to sew for myself. I made myself cut out the first pair of pants the other week before our last minute trip, but have yet to get anything sewn since we’ve been back. Hence, the implementation of a stricter schedule for myself. I’ve got to get things together if I want to accomplish anything in by the end of the year.

I like to try to start the year with a fairly clear schedule of projects. I like starting the year out with finishing a project, and starting a project, it's good luck, I guess. And having a clear schedule makes me feel excited about all the potential I have to get accomplished in the coming months.  So, I’ve got to finish as many of my WIPs as possible in the next six weeks. As someone who only gets weekends off, and Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas day, I don’t have a lot of extra time lying around in my schedule to get things sewn.

I’ve started diligently taking my knitting to work with me, and actually knitting on my lunch break. It lets me end each day knowing that I made some progress on something each day, even if no sewing gets done.

As difficult as it has been, I’m forcing myself to get up early again so I have time in the morning to get things done too. I’m very behind on an editing job, hopefully my last one for the year. And super behind on sewing orders due to our last minute trip. But the sewing ones are easy to catch up on once I find the time and motivation.

And, I really do want to regularly write. Here on the blog, as well as for myself. Stay tuned for updates!

And pictures. I’ll be better at getting pictures in my posts too. 

The Stashalong

Well friends. Here we are.

As is always the case, I didn't intend to go as long as it's been without posting, but it happened. Of course it did. I have a baby for heaven's sake.

We have been doing some re-evaluating and a lot of praying. Once again, I have decided I need to cut back. So, for now we are going to pause the Stashalong.

I don't mean to be throwing a pity party here, but it has been rough on me to try to set up such a big project and feel like I am talking to the wall here. Maybe in the future, when I get things rolling along smoothly I will pick it back up again.

As I start into this new, unexpected, phase of life, I do hope to have more time to blog. Cutting out everything that I am cutting out is going to take a good solid month, since I have some obligations to fulfill before stopping various activities. But my whole family is very hopeful that where I am headed is going to be best for all of us because it's what's best for me is what's best for us.


Stay tuned!

Books 2017

(I'm trying a new thing here, and have to let you know that some of the links in this post are part of a paid affiliate program.)

I have to admit, I love reading. However, no amount of research or mommy blogs or panicked calls to my mother prepared me for this.

We are a full month and a half into 2017 and I've only read one book.

As someone who used to read a book a day on a good week, and one a week or so on an 'off' week, this was a bit alarming. I mean, I read. It's what I do. It's a huge part of who I am.

I have a memory of trying to convince my friends back in grade school to do a read-a-thon with me one summer. When all of them refused, I pulled out a blanket, a pile of books, and had my own read-a-thon on the front lawn, you know, in case someone happened to pass by and wanted to join me.

I've got a pile of books on the couch, just waiting for me to read them. Yet, every time I seem to reach for them something happens.

I call it the Mommy Sense. You see, babies have this Mommy Sense. They can sense when mommy is about to do something. It could be something necessary like starting the laundry, it can be work related like sitting down to write a blog post or finally get to editing that book, or it could be when mommy thinks you are napping but really you are waiting for her to sit down and do something that she thinks is relaxing because that's what it was in her life before you. But we all know that life before the Baby is this mystical land in which no one spits up, or cries just because they want snuggles, or refuses to sleep at 2 am.

I get it. "Brown Bear", "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom", and "Rosie Revere, Engineer" are the best I can hope for now.

At least until someone decides that naps and bedtime are actually a good thing.