Ready for a New Year

Well, I don't know if I'm really ready or not, but it doesn't matter because it's almost here either way.  ; )  I have been thinking on and off this week about what I want to do next year.  Not resolutions, really, just things I want to do.  I'm sure I could come up with a really long list if I sat down and really thought about it, but I just wanted to share a few of the most important things.  In no particular order -

* Read more.  I used to read a lot, not so much anymore.  Adults have less free time, I suppose, and more demands on it.  Remember when you were a kid and you thought when you were grown up you could always do just whatever you wanted?  Yeah, I wish!

* Write more.  Especially here, but could also be journaling or maybe even actually starting to write some of the stories in my head.  Which have been there forever.  Wouldn't that be something!

* Take more pictures!  And share them!

* Start dressing my truth, and more importantly, LIVING it. 

* Keep my etsy shop stocked.  I have an idea for what I'm hoping will be my main product line, so watch for that to be coming in January!

* Most of all - STRESS LESS, ENJOY MORE.   That applies to everything, and it's a tall order, and it won't happen all at once.  But I think it's a good one.  ; )

I guess I also want to look back a little bit at some of the good points about 2010.  Maybe I should have done that first, oh well.  I think so much of the time, I feel so dreary, it becomes hard for me to remember or even see the good bits, but I am gradually working at changing that.  So I will reflect on the good things about this  year, and have this to look back on instead of the bad things.  : )

One thing I'm really proud of is that I launched DragonfliiMama Designs, and even had a sale!  I have been talking about doing that for years, so even though it is still definitely in baby stages, it's becoming a reality, which is amazing to me. 

I'm also amazed at how much crochet I have done in the past year.  It was in fall of 2009 that I picked up crocheting for the 3rd time and really took off with it - and boy did I take off with it!  I probably ought to sit down and count up how many projects I actually finished in 2010.  I know I have a few projects that didn't get finished, and a few ideas along the way that got discarded for whatever reason, but I really have accomplished a lot.  Funny to think that for all the years when I didn't have a baby complicating my crafting time, I never really managed to do very much.  And now that I do, I have done so much - I think it's safe to say I probably finished more projects in 2010 than in the last 2-3 years before that combined.  At least.  Wow!

And of course, there's G-Unit.  (grumble grumble.  Oh fine, we'll keep the nickname.  *roll eyes*)  He is growing up to be such a sweet little bundle of toddler boy.  LOL.  Looking at him now, it's hard to remember he's the same tiny frail little thing we brought home from the hospital.  He is strong and healthy, and his growth and development are both excellent.  It's scary to think of how many complications or delays he could have given his start in life, and he really doesn't have any.  We definitely have our moments around here, toddlers are not always easy to keep up with or  have patience for.  But I just need to remember to have realistic expectations for his age - he's 1 and a half for goodness sakes!  And that it's a season which he will grow out of all too soon, so I need to enjoy it while it's here.  Before I know it, he'll be on to the next season, growing up, with new challenges and new excitements, and the ones we have today will be gone.  And really, doesn't that apply to all of life?

So what about you?  What did you especially enjoy about 2010?  What are you looking forward to in 2011?

Treasure these moments, the ones now and here,
Cling to them tightly and count them as dear,
In wishing for something else, waste not a one,
Rather, even in sadness, seek out the sun.
A moment is not either good or bad,
It's not in itself either happy or sad,
Instead it is both, and the point to be made,
is what you choose to take with you, and what you let fade,
The greatest of joys, you can choose not to see,
if you're focusing on all your misery,
The greatest offense, you can choose to let go,
making room in your heart for new joys to grow. 
Don't worry about tomorrow, time for that when it comes,
Don't worry about yesterday, it's over and done,
This season of life, this moment, this day,
This is the stuff from which memories are made.
So treasure these moments, the ones now and here,
Cling to them tightly and count them as dear.

An Actual Reveal

I keep meaning to post pictures of finished (or maybe even - shock, gasp! - in progress) projects.  But I never manage to actually do it.  Well, I'm pretty pleased with how this one turned out, and I just have to share it.  Although I will say I am less pleased with the photos.  I really really would love to find a spot where I can get a decent amount of natural light.  *pouts*  Ah well, I do the best I can.

So would you like to see it?  It's something very appropriate for the season... and I am hurrying to get this one in the mail today and crossing my fingers that the recipient gets it in time, I made this one for a swap, you see.  All right, a little peek then.  I bet you can guess what it is.

I can't tell you how excited I was to find that fabric for the bag and know that it would go just perfect with the yarn.  Can you guess what it is?  Do the numbers give it away?  What if I show you a whole bunch of numbers?

Did you guess an advent calendar?  I really would like to show it to you all strung up, but sadly I did not take the time to hang it.  For one thing, I did not want to open the package of ornament hooks I bought to use for hanging it up, as it needs to go in the mail and I did not want all those hooks just loose in the envelope.  Bad idea, I'm thinking.  For another thing, I am not quite sure where to hang it here.  I need to figure it out, though, because I am so in love with it, I want very much to make another one to keep for myself.  I think that will be a much more gradual process, one or two pieces at a time in between other projects.  But if I can manage to complete it, then perhaps later in December, I can show you a garlandy picture.  :)

Oh, one last picture - I did something extra special for the ornament for Christmas Day.  It photographed the worst of anything, unfortunately, but I think you will get the idea...

What do you mean, I’m indecisive?

Ok, maybe a little.  Yeah, I’ve moved again.  Sorry.  Honestly, I’m really not sure why I didn’t move to blogger the first time.  :doh  It just makes more sense to use the Google service integrated with everything else I already use, including my Android phone.  And the background options are – well, there’s lots more of them, so I can now play around and change things up by changing my background, not my address.  : D  If it imports from WP… it seems to be taking quite a while to do that… *gets a little worried*

So, it won’t import.  And I’m not copying everything over, with comments and everything – I don’t post that much, but it’s still too much hassle.  So instead you get a link.  Go here to see the older stuff.  I’ll add a link on the sidebar too.

On a separate note, I think I really need to do something about some emoticons, if I can.  I spend so much time on GCM and am so used to using the emoticons there, I miss them when I am typing somewhere else.  :(  Except they get put into posts as an img file and I can’t just insert them into the text, they only line up certain places.  :doh  Maybe I will make a reference page with the “code” and the img and then just use the code… Is that stupid?  I mean, the ones I use the most often, I translate the code in my head anyway – so i read the code but see the smiley, you know?  Meh, it’s my blog, I’ll do what I want.  This is how I write, so I’m doing it, even if it’s stupid.  So there.