Resolution Intervention

So, there were some New Year’s resolutions, mainly to use the supplies of all kinds around my house, be they cooking, crafting or sewing. Uhm, yeah. January was great, February went well, but between March and April, any focus I had on that petered out. I think it’s time to reflect, adapt my expectations, and move on with the new plan.

Here’s what I did (and didn’t) accomplish:

1. I got rid of about 75% of my scrapbooking supplies. That felt really good, and they went to friend who was delighted to get them. I have been printing out more of my photos, thanks to using Instagram (you can follow me here). They are just too fun to stay on my laptop!

2. I have been consistently using my fabric and pattern stash. That’s going well.

3. I keep trying out recipes I find online, instead of the ones in my pretty cookbooks. Fail.

4. I haven’t worn a single vintage item. I think it’s time to admit that my look has evolved away from 1950′s day-dresses. I love vintage, but I’m ready to break-up with my collection. I just haven’t decided what to do with them yet.

The new plan:

1. I have gone through my cookbooks and selected enough recipes to try out 3 new dishes a week for the next 6 weeks. That way I can shop for groceries with them in mind and have a more specific goal.

2. I bought more alphabet letter stickers (I like Thickers).  When I went through my supplies, I discovered how hard it was to actually spell any page titles without any vowels. This should help, but I’m also going to set a goal of 2 pages per week.

3. Fabric/patterns. Keep on it! I’m doing the Colette Pattern Challenge, so that should also help me make a more cohesive wardrobe.

Really, this is a plan for persistence – I’m working on it!

Resolution Report Card: February

February is always a tough month for me, and I suspect I’m not alone in that. This year I was either sick with the flu or in rehearsal for most of the time. This meant I was constantly wearing either pajamas or yoga pants and eating mostly chicken soup and toast. So, that’s a no for sporting vintage clothing and cooking fun new recipes. I did however, put together some scrapbook pages that are making me very happy. It’s been really fun to dig through my old photographs. Also, I am close to finishing up not one, but two dresses using old or leftover fabric!

I’ve decided to accept that some months are going to be better than others and focus on not giving up. I’ve got ‘new recipe’ cookies in the oven as I write this and March is my birthday month, so things are looking up!

Confused as to what my resolutions actually are? Get the details here.

Paper Love: Winter 2012

 

Resolution Report Card: January

Having resolved to Use it Up, this month I:

• Went through my scrapbook supplies and ended up giving away about 75% of my paper
• Made two dresses using fabric and a pattern from my stash
• Cooked new recipes from my cookbooks (including quinoa cakes – yum!)
• Did not wear a single vintage item

So, not too bad.  I really need to work on wearing (or framing, or giving away) my vintage clothes, but other than that, it was a pretty productive month.

Gift for a Knitter

I am the kind of person who gets more satisfaction out of wrapping a present than giving or getting one. I am always excited when sent on a gift-wrapping mission and this time did not disappoint!  I started with the idea of creating a gift basket, which then evolved into including a take-out box and supplies, which then lead me to the dogs-in-knitted-sweaters paper (found at my local art supply store, but you can also find it online here).

December Daily Wrap Up

 

I’m still plugging in a few holes (day 14,22 and 25 are happening today), but for the most part, my scrapbook of December is done! It was my first time trying out such a challenge and while it took me a little bit of time to work out my process, I really enjoyed it. I decided not to bother to try working on the scrapbook on the road. It wasn’t a question of supply availability, but time availability. I was quite happy to wait until I got home to finish it.

I didn’t think that I had that many Christmas/December traditions, but looking through the pages I was surprised to see lots of annual events, from the big (Latkepallooza) to the small (holiday blend Just Us Coffee). There are also pages that emphasize the non-holiday, usual day-to-day activities as well. I wanted my scrapbook to reflect reality, not just garland and lights. I’ll definitely be doing this again next year!

You can see Part One of my December Daily here, or the flickr set of images here.

Gingerbread Weasley Burrow

Every year during the holidays, my family makes a gingerbread house. Normally I participate more in the deconstruction rather than the construction, but it’s always a highlight for me. This year, after seeing the Lego set for the Weasley’s Burrow, I thought, what a great gingerbread house that would be. There are photos and instructions available online (sometimes from professional bakers/prop-makers/architects), but I am lucky to have a dad who is both obsessive and awesome. He created his own template and (due to a sudden emergency – what’s Christmas without one?) did all the work himself.

I’ve already been on the lookout for an idea for next year and, ever the competitor, I’m tempted to give one a go myself. Perhaps a family wide, long-distance bake-off is in order!

Resolutions 2012: Use it up

Sometimes I need a little kick in the butt to get out of my buying-with-a-plan-but-not-actually-using rut. Putting together the supplies for my Daily December project, I was shocked to see just how many craft supplies I have trucked around with me over the years. So in 2012, I’m resolving to either follow through on all those plans, (big or small) or to clear things out:

1. Cook out of my beautiful cookbooks rather than endlessly searchingTastespotting. I’ve already cleared out any titles I never really used or involve ingredients I don’t really eat. I’ve kept only the ones I love to sit and look at; except that isn’t really their purpose is it?

2. Scrapbook my way through my craft supplies, until everything runs out (movie stubs or paper – whichever happens first). If there is anything left over, it will be donated to an appropriate charity.

3. WEAR MY VINTAGE CLOTHES. I AM NOT OPERATING AN ARCHIVE. (The all-caps are directed at me, not you). I either need to frame them or wear them, but not just let them wither in the closet. There are a few things I am going to give away  - I have just the right people in mind for them – a few I might sell, and the others I will wear.

4. Sew from my fabric stash only, using the patterns I have amassed. I have more patterns than fabric, but I don’t like the idea of having a closet full of fabric either.  I have some specific sewing goals as well, but there are too many of those to list here. I’m so excited to be sewing again!

I think it’s going to be a busy, but delicious year!

December Daily 2011 Update 1-8

One week in and things are going well for my December Daily Challenge. I am actually up-to-date (you can see the actual pages here)! It’s been really fun to dig through my supplies, but also to see the colour scheme I am clearly drawn to: brown, red, and cream with multiple shades of green. In preparation for this project, I created a loose list of possible topics based on events I knew I was already committed to and have been filing in the holes with more day-to-day activities. I’m not sure how I am going to handle things once we are on the road, but for now, this is my favourite challenge yet!

Featured in: This American Life!

this american life, a photo by ericap1 on Flickr.

A few weeks ago, I received a very surprising email. I was contacted by an editor at This American Life about using my scrapbook page about the show in their e-newsletter. Being a big public radio fan, I was very flattered to have been asked to contribute!

Lately, I have been saving up episodes to play in the car when my parter and I head out to see our families at Christmas. Here are a few of my favourites!

1. Matchmakers
2. Save the Day
3. Teenaged Embedded