New Year Plans

 Happy new year to you all, I hope you all enjoyed your celebrations. I am excited for the new year and one of my intentions is to try and stay clear of the news especially first thing in the morning.  It can put a real spoiler on the day I think and of course there is not such much media coverage of all the good things in the world so I am aiming to focus more on those things.  I will of course watch later in the day at some point to keep up to date but I don't want to be consumed by it.  I think there has been a lot of that this last few years so it is now time to move forward without constant dread!

So I read the other day that is better to have intentions and I agree, we should try to do more of things we plan rather than this all or nothing approach where we just give up after a few months.  

We are palnning some more trips away in our van and we are looking forward to be able to plan those when we want now that my working time is more flexible.  For many years I have been restricted to the school holidays becasue even though my boys are grown I worked in school.  As I won't be doing that this year we are free to go when we wish and my husband can book his holidays when it is not peak times so that is a real bonus.

There is new bag cut on my sewing table ready to be but together, well it is mostly cut I just need to decide on a base and a lining but getting into all those odd bits of fabric. My stash of little bits is quite large now so I need to make a few more bags these coming weeks and get them worked down a bit I can barely get in the cupboard.

The little zip you can see in that image was also salvaged from something I was throwing away that was too danaged to go to the charity shop.  I just snipped off the zips and I will unpick it preperly just before I use it. There is much fun to be had getting out all the scraps and playing with them on the table, I am sure those of you that quilt probably do this too.

When we were going through the boxes to take for reycled I noticed that the whittards box that my tea came in before Christmas was patterned on the inside and very pretty, I have flipped it inside out and it is now on a shelf filled with zips.  Here it is with some of my other thrifted sewing bits, a nice tin (also home to zips) and my little tea cup.

One of my aims is to be more intentional with what I do in a day especially now as I am working from home.  I do tend to focus better with a list as  having things wrote down does give some structure and a plan.  There are  two jobs crossed off already today although I do know that many people don't like to do this.  It is whatever works for you, but pen and paper seem to be my friends in this regard. 

All of my sewing jobs for the next few weeks are lined up on drawers ready to go and I planned the next list after that last night. 

A few other bits I wish to improve on are 

• Staying off facebook unless its a quick check in for groups that I am in 5 mins tops and using a timer! My close friends don't use it anyway so it is a bit of a time waster I fell back into last year.

• Reading more non fiction alongside my fiction of course.

• Doing a daily declutter even if it is just a couple of things.

• Looking back on the past week to see what is on track, to celebrate not criticise. 

So I think they are a few good things to concentrate on for now I can alsways add more if I wish,  what are you up to this coming year any specific things to focus on for you?

Well have a lovely day and enjoy the rest of the week. Take care. 

2021 A Few Makes

 We are nearly there, the end of the year and I just put togther these nine earlier for instagram as everyone seems to be posting that.  It was quite tricky as I have made so much this year but included here are a few that are worn a lot for example the hoodies, also a few unexpected favourites. The the bear dress which I had doubts about halfway through but it is really easy to wear and can layered so I have worn this quite a bit.  Have you got any favrourite makes of the year and have you shared them on instagram if you have let me know in the comments if I don't follow you already.

My jackets have all been favourites and there are a few more that are not featured here that I love just the same.  I have also noticed I have a lot of black in my wardrobe even though it does not appear so looking at the above image. 

 Just  this morning I have finished a project in black print  and there are a few more waiting on the sidelines.  Maybe I will have to make 2022 the year of colour, I did branch out and made a hot pink dress last week but my husband is not into the colour and I did read recently that the colours should not be wearing you, so maybe I have to be cautious of that.

There is a selection of sources above, the two top center and top right are from the same pattern from a magazine a sinple sew pattern sienna I think.   The green coat, white blouse and black skirt are all traced off from Burda magazine that I had for a year as a gift from my husband.  Top left hoodie is from the Tilly Walnes stretch book that I borrowed from the library ages ago. Navy coat and the bomber jacket were both from patterns made for Minerva and the zip hoodie bottom left I traced off from one of my own hoodies that I knew fit well.  I have to say looking at the fabrics above they were all minerva! I have made garments from fabric from a local store to me and a number of refashions this past year too, a few of those can be seen on my youtube channel.  If you haven't had a look at that please do and maybe leave me a comment.  You can find the link in the sidebar.  I haven't done any for that for a while as i have been busy with other filming so I must do some refashions for that soon. 

I am about to go shopping so I hope people are not in there going crazy like they do when any shop will be closed the following day!  I went a few days before Christmas and people were there trollies full to the brim shopping for the apocalypse, I just want a few things so I will try to be quick.

Hopefully you all have your New years eve planned and are all set, we will be celebrating at home with maybe a glass of wine and a good film that will do me. Maybe a few chapters of my book that I am reading (I know how to party;)  

Well I am going to get on with things now, have a wonderful evening and take care. 

Books and that bit inbetween

 Hello I hope you are all enjoying a good rest and not too bloated from a week of over eating and drinking ;) I have to say it is 5 pm here I am about to start a curry for dinner and I am drinking a glass of rose!   Just the one mind although not usual on a Wednesday, it is Wednesday right?  We are currently in that bit of the holiday where I really don't know what day it is or what I am supposed to be doing with myself.

I do like a new start to the year, some people think it is pointless to start with new intentions but I like to plan something new.  That does not mean calling them resolutions though because I feel people miss a day with those and give up.  I prefer to try to do more of something and write it down, that way if you miss a day it doesn't matter as you can always reset the next day and still see all the days  you have been successful and not stress about the one day you missed.  I think doing something most days of the year and occasionally slipping and having a day off is far healthier than doing something every day for a month then giving up!

It is also fun to look back on my notebooks as I can see what I was doing or being interested in a year or two ago.  I have only done this the last few years but is very enlightening and there are also some super quotes in them and I have wrote some of them out again as a reminder.

One thing I did today was to move my cook books into the kitchen, now years ago I had them in the kitchen at my first house.  I did say never again as a few got a lot of splashes on them, looking back they were too close the oven area so that is why but they are to be used.  Up to now I have had them on the book shelf in the dining room and walked back and forth everytime I wanted to check something.  So no more of that but my son has had instructions not to splash milk every where when getting cereal as they are near the fridge unit.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you keep your books close to where you need them or in a safer place?  I didn't pay a lot for any of these, the oldest one there is possiblt the Rose Elliot one and that was from a charity shop along with Veg, Deliciously Ella and the Abel and Cole one. The big Vegan Cookbook there was a recent gift from my son, the Aine Carlin ones were all new but a fiver each and I have to say they are very well used.  The vegan baking one on the end was also bought new and is very good.  A few of these  books I had from the library first before finding second hand for a few pounds.

Personally I have never had the Abel and Cole veg boxes but a friend did and used to pass on some recipe cards now and then so that is why I spotted that particular book.

I have just been to collect my car from the garage and it has passed its MOT (that was before the glass of wine of course) we use a car centre that is very local to us so we walked there with the dogs then my husband carried on and I drove back.  It is always a relief when you don't get a big car bill after these things.

Well I had better go and get on with that curry as no one else will cook it. Just a bit of a check in today so stay safe and rested everyone and I will be back soon.