Top 5 Goals

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a nice night last night and you aren't feeling too sore today.  Today felt like the perfect time to be sharing my goals for 2014.  I pretty much covered my reflections in my misses post that you can see here.  So onto my goals for next year!

2014 Goals

Sew with knit fabrics. Knit fabrics always scare me so I steer clear of them at all costs. This year I want to change that!  My first mission is going to be to sew a pair of leggings.  I found an awesome piece of material at Spotlight a while a go that I couldn't resist so I am well prepped.  Now I just need to find a pattern.  If anyone has any suggestions of a good legging pattern let me know!

Quality of Quantity! This one is not only for my sewing/knitting but also for my blogging.  I want to sew more items that I know I will wear rather than a million little things that will get pushed to the back of my wardrobe.  I also want to use more quality fabrics so that my makes will last longer.  With my blogging I want to focus on writing quality posts rather than how many posts I am writing.  I notice that this is the key difference between my blog and all the blogs I really love.  So if I'm not around as much this year I apologize but hopefully I will be bringing you lots of posts you love.

Make a jacket.  Jacket's are something that seem really hard to me.  I'm not sure why! This year I want to tackle some of my fears and so I want to make this year the year of the jacket.  I am looking at the Rigel Bomber and McCall's 6611 to start me off.

Refashion! The other day I read through the archives of A Pair and A Spare and it has inspired me to start refashioning more.  I have a lot of clothes! And a lot of clothes that I don't wear.  My plan is to do a big wardrobe clear out and refashion some of the things I don't wear.

Take Time to Enjoy Life!  This is a more general non sewing related goal for the year.  I am a very organised list orientated person.  I like to plan things and make sure everything is organised.  Sometimes this can get in the way of me actually enjoying what is going on around me.  This year I want to remind myself to stop and enjoy what is going on around me.  Imogen is growing up fast and I don't want to miss that because I am rushing through life.

So what are your goals for 2014?  Do you make resolutions or just wipe the slate clean and see what the new year brings?

Looking Back on 2012

At the start of last year I set myself a few goals that I was hoping to achieve. Unfortunately, not all of these were completed but considering a chunk of my year there was no crafting due to morning sickness and then having a new baby I am very pleased with what I did manage to complete. Here is a quick look at my resolutions from 2012 and how I did.

The view of Woolgoolga beach over my 37 week pregnant belly.

Visit A New Part of Australia
While we didn't visit Perth or the Great Ocean Road this task did get accomplished. We visited Woolgoolga for the weekend in September to celebrate the 40th anniversary since my dad's family moved over from South Africa. More recently when we were in Melbourne we took a few road trips and visited the Yarra Valley, Red Hill & Portsea. I would still really like to see Perth and would also love to visit Tasmania so who knows maybe we will do one of those this year.

Gorgeous flowers in Eumundi on our weekend stay in Noosa.

Plan Some Weekends Away
Another tick here although we didn't do as many weekends away as I would have liked. We did a quick trip to Melbourne in March to celebrate my sisters birthday, another weekend to Woolgoolga in September as mentioned above and a weekend trip to Noosa for the Queens Birthday weekend. I love getting away for the weekend. It is always nice to get out of the house for a few days and do something different.

Sew 30 Items

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to sew 30 items this year but I did manage to make 23 items which I am quite surprised about. I didn't think I would get that close to my goal given I spent a lot of the year not sewing. I was also surprised because I thought most of my completed items would be for Imogen's nursery but I actually managed to make myself quite a few things as well. I think my favourite item's of the year were my sailor pants and my 70s summer dress.

Knit 15 Items
Fail! I only managed 5 items this year but I found my interest in knitting waning a little as my obsession with crochet takes over. I am pretty happy with the items that I did make though. My favourites would have to be the teddy bear and red cape I made for Imogen. I can't wait till winter so she can wear her cape!

Knit A Garment For Myself
This was an epic failure. I didn't even start knitting myself a garment. I did however buy the yarn to make myself a cardigan and found the pattern I want to use so now I just need to make it. Hopefully I will get it made before this winter.

Crochet 15 Items
Done! I really got into the crochet this year. I find it a lot faster than knitting so it has become my preferred craft. I find it a lot easier to crochet softies than to knit them and also assembly seems to be a lot quicker. As you can tell there are 3 projects not included in the above. That is because baby brain made me forget to photograph them. One was a brain sucker I made for a friend at work, another was a blue version of the owl rattles for my mums friend and the last was a phone cover that is so basic it is not even worth photographing.

Read 52 Books
I was really hoping I would get this one this year but again I didn't manage to reach it. In 2011 I managed to read 35 books but this year I managed 46. So even though I didn't reach my goal of 52 I did manage to beat my 2011 amount so I am pretty happy about that. I really like reading but sometimes I have to remind myself to read. I currently have a stack of books sitting on my dresser that I have borrowed or recently bought. I'm not sure how long it will take me to get through them but I am looking forward to reading them all.

Sew 10 Vintage Patterns
This was a massive fail! I didn't sew any vintage patterns this year at all. I did, however, buy a lot. I have quite the collection now and I have ideas for all of them so I am looking forward to making them this year. The good news is my first item for 2013 that I am halfway through making is from a vintage pattern so I am starting of the year well.

Exercise 3 Times A Week
Another fail! We never got back into exercising regularly after Christmas and New Year and just as we did get back into it morning sickness hit and didn't leave for 3 months. I attempted gyming a couple of times while pregnant but I just didn't have the motivation. We have started back a few weeks before Christmas and have been going well but I am easing myself back into it. 12 months of not exercising really wrecks your stamina. That first trip back to the gym was a killer!

Make Our House Feel Like A Home
I am giving this item a big tick! I love the way our house looks now that we have decorated a bit and put our own little touches on it. I am especially in love with Imogen's room. This year I would really like to give my sewing room a big clean out and finish decorating our bedroom.

This year I have decided not to do any resolutions and just focus on my 101 in 1001 list instead. There is one project that I have joined in for this year though and that is A Year of Giving which was thought up by Lilac Saloon. I am really looking forward to doing this this year. January's theme is comfort and I know what I am going to make I just have to do it. We are only 8 days into January so there is plenty of time for you to join in too if you like. Pop over here to read more.

Oh What A Year!

2012 has been an amazing year! Though I am very excited to what 2013 has to bring.  I am on holidays at the moment visiting my sister so it has been a little quiet around these parts.  But I saw this little meme over at Rainbow Tatt and thought it would be a nice way to end the year.

My biggest and best achievement of the year!

1 - What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Got pregnant, had a baby and learnt how to become a mother.

2 - Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I achieved some and not others (more on that in another post) but I am pretty happy with what I did achieve considering most of my focus this year was on Imogen.

3 - Did anyone close to you give birth?
Apart from myself a work friend had a little boy, a girl I used to work with had a little girl and my sister in law had twins.  Plus a few blog friends had their own little bundles of joy too.

4 - Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank god!

5 - What countries/states did you visit?
We went to Woolgoolga, NSW to celebrate the anniversary of my dad's family moving to Australia 40 years ago.  We also went to Melbourne in March for my sister's birthday and we are also here now visiting.

6 - What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A better idea of what I want to be in life and the focus and determination to start working towards it.

7 - What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 9th - the day I had Imnogen.

8 - What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Growing and giving birth to a healthy baby girl.

9 - What was your biggest failure?
Being too stubborn and allowing petty people to get the better of me and my emotions.

10 - Did you suffer illness or injury?

Morning sickness! It was horrible.

11 - What was the best thing you bought?
Corey's coffee machine I bought him for Christmas.  He has wanted one for so long and I was so excited it was hard to keep it a secret till Christmas morning.

12 - Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The celebrities that were involved in the recent ad campaign aiming to make America tighten their gun laws and all those American's who are speaking out to try and make the necessary changes to avoid another devastating incident like the Sandy Hook massacre.

13 - Whose behaviour was appalling?
I must agree with Rah on this point and go with the NRA in regards to their reaction to the Sandy Hook massacre.  But also on a personal note there are a few people who I have been pretty appalled with in my life this year.  I just will never understand the way some people treat their family and friends.  

14 - Where did most of your money go?
Into getting ready for our life with Imogen.

15 - What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having a baby and starting my new life as a mum.

16 - What song will always remind you of 2012?
Gangnam Style! You can't escape that damn song. They even played it at the Christmas Carols.

17 - Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter
c) richer or poorer? probably equal.

18 - What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sewing for myself. I have so many things I want to make in 2013.

19 - What do you wish you’d done less of?
Shopping - I need to learn to curb my spending habits especially now I am on maternity leave.

20 - How did you spend Christmas?
Lunch at the beach with my family and the night with Corey's family at his sister's house.

21 - What was your favourite TV program?
Revenge was amazing at the start of the year and I got sucked into Grimm at the end of the year.

22 - Did you make a friend with anyone that you didn’t know this time last year?
I have made a few new blog friends and I also met a great group of mum's through antenatal classes and the health clinic who I meet with on a weekly basis.

23 - What was the best book you read?
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve

24 - What was your greatest musical discovery?
I am a bit in love with Cher Lloyd at the moment.  Especially this song.

25 - What did you want and get?
A healthy baby and a new sewing machine.

26 - What did you want and not get?
A new car. Totally not needed as my car is perfectly fine but I have a crush on a bigger better car.

27 - What was your favourite film of this year?
The Dark Knight Rises and the last Twilight movie.

28 - What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25 this year and my birthday was Corey's first day back at work after having Imogen so it was an interesting day.  My parents came over in the evening and brought us dinner and cake which was awesome!

29 - What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Losing the baby weight! I wish I was one of those celebrities who the weight magically falls off without even lifting a finger ;-)

30 - How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Comfortable and expanding! Anything that fit my growing belly and was still comfortable.

31 - What kept you sane?
My family!

32 - Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Tom Hardy - except when he was Bane cause that was just freaky!

33 - What political issue stirred you the most?
The gun debate in America and the horrendous mayor elections results on the Gold Coast.  

34 - Who did you miss?
Hayley & Kieran.

35 - Who was the best new person you met?
My mummy group friends. They help me to realise that I am not going crazy when I over think everything to do with Imogen.  Apparently all us first time mums do that.

36 - Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012
Everything good in life takes hard work but it will all be worth it in the end so just stick in there.

37 - Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
In the sunlight or the rain brightest nights or darkest days
I'll always feel the same way yeah whatever road you may be on
know you're never too far gone
my love is there wherever you may be
just remember that you'll always be my baby
be my baby

You'll always be my baby by Sara Evans
I hope you all have an amazing new years even tonight.  I will be back with more next week after our holiday.

November Reading List

After a lame effort in October I got back into the swing of things with my reading for November.  I find that feeding time gives me a lot of time for reading.  This month I managed to read 7 books which brings me up to a total of 43 for the year.  That means if I want to reach my goal of 52 books I need to read another 9 in December.  I am not too confident that will happen but I will give it a shot.  This month I read

I continued on with my obsession with the Stephanie Plum series.  I have 4 more of these books on my ereader and then there are another 2 in the series that I need to get although one hasn't be released yet.  I have said basically everything I can about this series the past few months.  They are great and I am still loving the series!

Flea Market Chic is a new book I bought the other week.  I could basically live in this book.  It is all about making and decorating your home with items sourced from flea markets and op shops and secondhand.  I have found so much inspiration in this book I really can't wait until we are able to buy a house.  So many times while reading this book I said to Corey "ooh I want one of these".  I think he is dreading us buying a house now!

So now to finish of my year with a bang (hopefully!).  Fingers crossed I can get a bit of reading in during December.

October Reading List

Well, October, what a busy month you were!  I read a grand total of 1 book.  Yep, that's right people, I lonely little book.  But it's a book that I think is going to do me a lot of good.

When I first got pregnant I read a lot of reviews online about Tizzie Hall.  They were very mixed reviews.  Some people loved her advice and routines and some people were dead against them.  I avoided reading the book for a while because of some of the negative feedback I had read online.  My Aunty follows the routines in this book with her little boy and he is the best sleeper.  She advised me to read it but still I put it off.  Finally a friend from work gave me her copy and after it sat on my bookshelf for a few weeks before I finally gave in and picked it up.

I was pretty surprised with the book.  The advice seems pretty straight forward and the routines are not too strict.  Tizzie champions the idea of having a routine but she also tells you not to let having a routine force you to sit at home.  She tells you how to have a routine while also keeping it flexible so you can actually have a social life.  Being only 3 weeks we haven't been to strict on Imogen's routine just yet.  She pretty much eats on the routine in the book but the day sleeps are a whole other thing.  She usually does one or two of them but never all three.

What I have found very helpful in this book are Tizzie's tips for teaching babies to self settle.  This is a battle we are still working on with Imogen but we are making progress and that is all we can hope for.

Have any of you read this book?  Did the advice work for you?  Do you follow a routine for your babies?

August Reading List

I am pretty happy with how I went this past month with my reading.  I think this month is going to be even better.  I think it is because I have found a good series that I am enjoying and am powering through all the books.  For August I read.....

The Diary of Mattie Spenser was probably my least favourite book. It was a bit of a slow read.  I am not really that into period dramas so it wasn't really my sort of thing.  I trudged through it though.  The Pilot's Wife was an awesome read! I smashed it out in a couple of days.  It was given to me by one of the girls at work and I loved it.  I think I need to investigate some more Anita Shreve books.  One for the Money is the first book in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.  Stephanie Plum is a bumbling bounty hunter who has a knack for running into trouble while trying to chase her targets.  The books are hilarious and such easy reads.  I also managed to read book 2 (Two for the Dough) and book 3 (Three to Get Deadly) in August.  Don't be surprised when my September list comes out if it is basically the rest of this series. I am enjoying them that much!

This month brings me up to 29 books which leaves me with 23 books to read in 4 months.  Fingers crossed I can get there!

July Reading List

This month was a slow month for reading. I do most of my reading on my lunch break but this past month at work has been so busy that I have been grabbing food whenever I get the chance and not having much time to actually stop.  Here is what I read:-

A Tiny Bit Marvelous is written from the perspective of four members of the one family.  It is quite interesting to read how they each perceive the same events in their life.  The best part of this book is the chapters written in the voice of the teenage daughter.  They way Dawn French writes these chapters cracks me up.  You can really imagine a 16 year old girl standing in front of you saying these things.  It's hilarious!

The Slap was given to me by my sister when she was up for dad's birthday and it took me a while to get through it.  I found it really interesting and thought provoking.  Especially for someone about to have a baby.  You most probably know what it's about but if not the story centres around a group of friends.  At the start of the book they have a bbq and one of the men slaps a child that is not his.  Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different member of the group and shows the different perspectives on the incident.  I found myself changing my mind on the incident with every chapter.  I got to the end of the book having more questions than answers on what I would do if something like this happened in my life.  It's a great book and definitely very thought provoking.

Hopefully August will be a bit more productive for me in the reading department otherwise I am going to struggle to hit my target of 52 books for the year.

June Reading List

Every time I write these posts I am baffled that another month is over and done with.  This months I managed 4 books.  Being that we are now halfway through the year we would expect that I would've read 26 books to be on track with my goal of 52 for the year.  Well I have come close to that goal with 24 books down.  This month I managed to read the following:-

With Friends Like These - This book is about a group of 4 friends and how as they grew up and got married and started having children their lives and friendships changed.  I really enjoyed this book.  I think it was because I could relate to some of the story lines having just gotten married and being pregnant with my first child.

My Name Is Memory - I loved this book!!! The concept was awesome and I think it was executed really well.  The idea of the book is that some people in the world can remember all of their past lives and can recognise souls of people that have come into contact with before.  The story centers around 1 boy who can remember who is chasing the love of his life (or lives) through their lifetimes and trying to get her to remember him.  It is a love story and it is a beautiful read!

French Children Don't Throw Food - This is the only parenting book that I have read since falling pregnant and it was really enjoyable.  It is written by an American lady who married a British guy and moved to Paris when they had a daughter and then twin boys.  She shares the differences she observed between French parenting techniques and British/American parenting techniques.  I like that this book doesn't dictate strict rules and regulations for parenting and recognises that every child and every parent is different.  A lot of the concepts that it shares make perfect sense and I will definitely be giving them a go with Squishy.  I'll report back later and let you know if they work.

Water For Elephants - If you liked The Notebook then you have to read Water For Elephants.  I love how the book is written from the perspective of the main character at two points of his life.  I thought the love story in this book was really good but I also enjoyed the relationship between the main character and the animals he cared for in the circus.  The book was interspersed with pictures of vintage circuses which I loved.  Even in black and white they really portray the excitement and theatrics of circuses in the 1920's and you can really imagine the being there.

After finishing French Children Don't Throw Food I wondered whether I should read any other parenting style books before Squishy comes along.  Are they necessary?  Are there any good ones that you have read and would recommend?

March Reading List

I just realised last night that it is over half way through April and I still haven't posted my books that I read in March.  I am trying again to read 52 books in the year.  So far (including March) I have read 9 books.  That leaves me with 43 books to read in 9 months. Not too sure how that is going to go especially with Squishy due at the start of October. Anyways, here is what I read in March...

I could not for the life of me gets these to go in order so they are going backwards instead.  Damn blogger was not playing nice this morning.  The month of March was taken over by reading the Shopaholic series.  I really love these books.  They are light and funny and so easy to read.  There is a few more in the series but I only have 1 more on my ereader which I just finished last night.  If you are after a quick easy read I would recommend giving these a go.  And for anyone that is a little shopping obsessed the first book definitely helps to bring your spending into perspective!

February Reading List

Hello, is there anybody out there? It's me Kat. Yes I am still alive.  Things have been a bit hectic at home and with work and I haven't had any time for sewing, knitting, baking or any of the things I love to do really.  So without any creating happening in my life there hasn't really been anything to post about.  I'm trying my hardest to get back into things and have a little project I am working on for my cousin that I will be able to post by the end of the week.  In the meantime here is my reading list for February. I think it aptly reflects how little time I have had for anything lately.

Sad really isn't it. Burqalicious is a memoir young professional women who moves from London to Dubai in pursuit of a lavish lifestyle.  I really enjoyed this story because I think it exposed some of the myths that people have of Dubai.  At some points the story was a bit repetitive but it's real life so you can't really change that.

Gunn's Golden Rules was a fantastic book! I found that when I was reading this book I could totally hear Tim Gunn's voice in my head.  I love Tim Gunn and I really enjoyed this book which is basically just little bits of wisdom and advice for living a happy life.  I think everyone should read it!

Ok, so I know I said last time that I would post more often but this time I really hope I can.  I miss the blog world and I miss all my bloggy friends.  Hopefully there are still some of you here reading.

January Reading List

So this year I am reattempting my goal of reading 52 books from last year.  Last year I only made it to 40 books.  This month I have only read 3 books which is a pretty slow start to the year.  I am hoping I will beat that amount next month. But for now here is my reading list from January.

Saving Rachel was a book that was only 99c on Borders when I was buying ebooks for my new reader.  I grabbed it because of the price and I'm so glad I did because I loved the book. It's a super quick read and it sucks you in straight away.  It is a thriller/mystery type book and I must say the twist at the end is worth the read.

Seriously, I'm Kidding was the first book I bought for my new ereader after Christmas.  It is the most random book I have ever read and it is hilarious.  It is literally just random little thoughts and stories that Ellen has decided to share.  I love Ellen! Anyone who loves her tv show has got to read this book because it is hilarious.

Minxy Vintage was a Christmas present from my mum and dad.  I have read this from cover to cover multiple times and it is so inspiring.  It makes me want to cut up and customise all my clothes and shop for vintage at the same time.  Everyone needs to own this book!!!

So I am hoping in February to step it up to 4 books for the month.  Fingers crossed I can reach that goal.

2012 Resolutions

Source: flickr.com via Barbara on Pinterest

I am a list person so it is within my nature to want to write a list of new years resolutions. Lists help me to have something to work towards and are very helpful in motivating myself.  Today I took a moment out to sit and think of some things I want to achieve this year.  They are nothing major just things that will help me make sure I am using my spare time wisely and being productive throughout the year.  Here goes....

Visit A New Part of Australia 
I realised when we went to Europe how little of my own country I have seen. When you tell people you are from Australia they ask you if you have seen so many places and the majority I say no to.  I would like to play tourist in my own country and visit some places I have never been before.  I would love to visit Perth or Tasmania and also see the Great Ocean Road.

Plan Some Weekends Away
We spend a lot of our weekends at home at complain a lot that we should have made plans.  We talk a lot about going for a weekend away to Byron Bay or the Sunshine Coast but they never happen.  This year I am hoping we can change that. (Melbourne,Noosa,Woolgoogla)

Sew 30 Items
I would like to redo this goal that I set myself in 2011 as I failed last year.  I am hoping this year I can focus a little more on my sewing and get a bit more done.  Fingers crossed this year this goal is a success. (19/30)

Knit 15 Items
I wanted to up the number of knitted projects for 2012 but I am also adding in a goal for crocheted items (see below) so I thought if I up'd the number I might be being a bit too ambitious. (7/15)

Knit A Garment For Myself
I suck at knitting clothes for myself!!! I have made 3 cardigans and all have turned out crap.  The first was because I used the wrong wool so it stretched out, the second I made a garment that wasn't my style at all so I didn't wear it and then the last garment I made I used too small needles and didn't realise till it was finished so again I never wore it.  All I make for myself now are scarves and beanies and I really want to make myself something I will actually wear.  I tend to wing things a bit when I make scarves and beanies and I think I can't do that with garments. All I need to do is be a bit more patient and pay more attention and I should be right.  Hopefully!!!

Crochet 15 Items
In 2011 I taught myself how to crochet and in 2012 I would like to put this skill to a bit more use.  I am aiming to crochet 15 items this year. (14/15)

Read 52 Books
This is another redo of a failed 2011 resolution.  I only managed 40 books in 2011 so I am hoping in 2012 I will be successful in my reading goal.  Corey bought me an ereader for Christmas which I have been carrying with my everywhere.  I think this will encourage me to read more as I will never be without a book if I keep this in my bag. (35/52)

Sew 10 Vintage Patterns.
Last year I wanted to start sewing with vintage patterns which technically I did. But I only made 1 so this year I have set myself a goal of 10 vintage patterns.  I have a few at home I would love to make so all I need to do is get started. (0/10)

Exercise 3 Times A Week
We went really well with our exercise from when we arrived home from Europe to just before the wedding.  Once the wedding finished we had birthdays and Christmas to prepare for and the gym got pushed to the wayside.  I am really hoping that we can get back into the swing of things this year and keep up with our exercise schedule.

Make Our House Feel Like A Home
We have been living in our house for 2 years and I still look at it and hate how it looks and feels.  I think mostly that is because I hate our house but also it is because we haven't really decorated to make our house feel like ours.  We are moving at the end of January and I am really excited to make this home feel a little bit more us.  I already have plans for our bedroom and the guest bedroom and kitchen.  I can't wait to get started!!!

So there you have it my, slightly ambitious, new years resolutions for 2012.  I really hope that I can be successful with my goals this year.  Fingers crossed!