Bye-bye '09!

Yes, it's that time of year for reflections.

My New Year's Resolutions for 2009:

1. Pay of my student loan

2. Start a Green Group

Done and done. Wow. I can't tell you how good that made me feel just to write that! This year I focused on making my resolutions discrete and measurable. I read somewhere if you made your resolution very specific, you were more likely to succeed in fulfilling them. Contrast "Read more" with "Read 12 books." When I got my new job, within three paychecks, I'd written a check to the DOE. And then towards the fall, I talked with some of my friends about starting a Green Group. We've met about three times now, and while it doesn't seem as "getting things done" as the book club, it is very helpful to have a group of people to talk about local environmental issues. And of course, since they're friends, it's always a fun time!

Here are some other things from 2009:

1. Lost a job. Gained a job.

2. Lost a dachshund. Gained a dachshund.
3. Gained a nephew!

4. Made ravioli by hand for the first time!

5. Started sewing

6. Finished Drake's baby book

7. Learned how to can applesauce, tomato sauce, and jam.

8. Went on *five* camping trips, a trip to Yosemite, a ski trip, and a trip back east to see family.

9. Made 2,000 basil seed starts for Earth Day, using reused materials.

10. Joined the PTA and Slow Food, USA.
11. We (um, Ross) continue to expand our mini-orchard in the backyard. We even got to harvest some apples and tangerines! And our orange/lemon tree is flourishing. The question is: with what? Oranges? Lemons? It's a mystery to us.

Goals for 2010:

1. Start composting - I really want to reduce the about of waste that we produce. Plus, this is great for gardening. It's one of those Eco-Nut 101 things that I've just never gotten around to. Risk: lots of rotting produce in the backyard. Rats (er, more than the usual).
2. Take sewing lessons - At the 11th hour this holiday season, I got a sewing machine because I decided I wanted to make something for the kids for Christmas. I managed to fumble my way through that, but I really want to learn how to use my new machine. Risk: 47 half-finished projects scattered about the house. Swearing (er, more than the usual).
3. Eat more seasonally - What, apples aren't in season in May? I really can't believe how little I know about agriculture. In order to reduce the amount of energy needed to produce our food, I will be striving to feed the family in a more seasonal (and therefore, probably local) manner. I'd like to note that we don't exactly live in Wyoming. Southern California, with it's four-season growing ability, would be a locavore's dream. Still.... Risk: I go insane with the planning aspect of this particular endeavor.
4. Oh, and exercise. Um, at least.... once a month (Don't want to overdo it or anything!). Risk: Well, at that interval, I guess the biggest risk is injuring myself.

Regardless of the risks, may 2010 be filled with happiness, peace, and love.

Insanity

How did this happen to me?? It started off innocently enough: I wanted to make the kids something for Christmas. Fine. I blogged about the little house pouches I made for them, which turned out super cute.

But then I went crazy.

I was so inspired, I got all crazy-innovative and came up with this:

Finger puppets! Fairy Friends on the left, Sea Creatures on the right.

Somehow I got to reading about egg cartons and ways to reuse/upcycle them, and my brain started working. I came up with this idea to sew puppets and use the egg carton for storage.

But it couldn't be a plain old egg carton. No. I had to decorate it. Ideally, I'd like to use fabric that reflects the puppets inside: marine fabric for the Sea Creatures and foresty fabric for the Fairy Friends. But the owl motif is what I could manage on the short time frame.

For days (DAYS!), I've been trying to reverse engineer the whole thing. It's one thing to make a little pouch (with a pattern). It's a whole 'nother thing to figure out how to cover an egg carton. All those little holes! And the pointy things in the middle! So, I've been cutting up carton after carton and designing a pattern (using scrap paper, of course). I took an old t-shirt and started cutting it with the pattern. I'm sure I've violated about 174 sewing rules so far.

Bundled up, ready to go to a restaurant, or on a plane.

But I got it done. It's only one egg carton, so they'll have to share for right now. But I hope they like their puppets.

24 More Shopping Sewing Days until Christmas!

Inspired by Crunchy Chicken's Buy Hand for the Holidays Challenge, I decided to make gifts for the kids this year. I came across this adorable House Pouch and am already on my second one. And what better occupants for a House Pouch, than some cute little clothespin dolls? Did you make these as a kid? I didn't. But they're quick and easy to make. And I've been having so much fun!

Currently, Ms. Ballerina is the only occupant. She's feeling lonely.

And then I realized that that it was almost December. December! Ack! So I called in the big guns and ordered a sewing machine.

I'm not sure what I'm expecting here. I haven't used a sewing machine since I was in the 7th grade. I don't even remember how to thread one! But oh, this machine. It hasn't even arrived yet, and already I'm in love. Mostly with the reviews on Amazon, but still. The reverse stitching! The automatic threading capability! I'm sure my love will diminish somewhat when it actually arrives and I'm wading through the voluminous manual.

Will it be faster - or s l o w e r - than my hand sewing? The jury is out.