Word of the Year - 2009

I was still undecided on whether or not to make New Year's resolutions this year when I came across Tip Junkie's "Talk to me Tuesday" post. Instead of making a list of resolutions you come up with a single word that sums up what you want for yourself for the upcoming year.

Click on the banner above for more details straight from Tip Junkie's blog and be sure to join in on the fun yourself. Bonus! Tip Junkie will be giving away a custom pendant by Tabetha of Reminisce Heirlooms with the winner's Word of the Year inscribed on it.

My Word of the Year? Well, naturally my first inclination is to pick a word like Wealthy or Rich, but I'm guessing that's not quite the point of the exercise, lol. So, in order to help combat what I think of as one of my worst faults - procrastination (or you could just call me plain ol' lazy) - I've decided to go with a word that will serve as a reminder to just get movin' already:

NOW

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

A lovely cold and foggy day here in Benicia . . . perfect for staying indoors with a fire in the fireplace, a good book (I'm currently reading "The Brass Verdict," by Michael Connelly), lounging on the couch wrapped in a blankie and with a cat or two on my lap. Bliss!
However, I'll be spending today working on my queue of unfinished projects. I started to make a written list of them all (knitted baby sweater, crocheted afghan, raggedy baby quilt, cross-stitch project-Sunbonnet Sue, cross-stitch project-hummingbird, sewing project-apron, sewing project-advent calendar, sewing project-twin size quilt...) and then I started to feel panicky that there were so many, so I stopped. It's pretty clear I don't need to buy materials for another project for at least 2 years!

I will need to go get some more batting because I'm a bit short for the quilt I'm working on right now, which has actually turned into two quilts since I had so much extra fabric. (I'll put the extra quilt away in my "Baby Hope Chest!") The fabrics I'm using are shown in the above photo. Aren't they sweet for a baby girl? I've made several of these ragged quilts and they sew up so quickly that you can easily make one in a day, including cutting out the squares. If you'd like to try one, the best set of instructions I've found so far are written by Gayla Carlson of Jubilee Homespun Fabrics. To go directly to the website page with the instructions, click here.

Just a Note: In her write-up Gayle mentions that you should use only homespun fabrics for ragged quilts, never the regular printed cotton. Good advice re the printed cotton; however, I've always used flannel (so far) for my ragged baby quilts, and they turn out very nice also.

So, back to the sewing machine - whoohoooo!

What are YOU doing today?? Please leave a comment and let me know!

To Resolve, or NOT to Resolve

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?

Some years I do, and some years I don't.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I change my mind from year to year on this subject. Some years I make well-intended resolutions - serious ones - only to have them peter out in a few weeks or, at best, a few months. Some years I only make resolutions I know I will keep, like eat three meals a day, and then reward myself for my success by eating 4 or 5 meals a day. And some years . . . I'm thinking this year will be one of those . . . I resolve not to make any resolutions at all.

Because why chance failure? I hate to fail anyway, and a self-imposed failure has got to be the worst failure of all. If I can't keep a resolution that I made for myself, knowing myself as well as I do, how can I ever expect to succeed at a task set for me by someone else?

Yeah, I feel like copping out this year. Especially after spending much of last year trying to live life a little more slowly and more thoughtfully. Resolutions to keep will just cause unneeded stress, right?

Still, making resolutions is a really good way to create good habits, finally complete (or at least make progress on) a long-desired goal, do something worthwhile, and most importantly, improve myself. So I'm waffling again.

What about you? Are you making resolutions? Help me decide what to do by leaving me a comment about your own resolution-making plans . . . or lack of plans!