Looking Forward...

You've got to love me...
(right?)

Because here it is - more than *halfway* through January, and I'm only now finding the time to sit down and write about resolutions/intentions/goals/whatever you want to call them.

But just because I've not written about them, doesn't mean that I haven't been thinking about them...

I started to say that I've been mulling them over, and thinking really deep thoughts about them. But that's not how it is. I've more been reflecting on this upcoming year, and where I want it (and me) to go. Looking for the diamonds in the rough, more like it. Focusing on the shiny happy stuff...

It will be interesting to see if this post is any easier to write - having dwelt upon the subject matter for going-on-three-weeks now...

So. As promised. Looking forward...

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Ha - I'm such a tease.

Because before I can look forward, really I need to take one long last look backwards. At last year's list of intentions.
(And I've got a bad feeling about this one, not so sure that I did all that swell with it...)

For 2007, I wanted to:

• Make something of my own design
  My initial thought on this one was - "ooops, didn't do that." But in looking back at the year's photos, I actually did.
  
  Admittedly, most of "my" stuff was an interpretation of an existing pattern - but I did make a panda baby, and the information architect scarves with my own twists. So that's some nice baby-stepping there... (Can you tell that I've been watching "What About Bob" again?)
  
  The UT scarf I made for Bubba's cousin was probably the most "mine" - as I completely made up the striping pattern, etc. after graphing it out in my beloved Excel. But since I never took a picture of it - so ugly! - I didn't know if I got credit for it...
  
  And, oh yeah - I made Valentine Cards!
  
  (So maybe I did better at this than I thought???)
  
  
• Make something for myself
  Again, started to say "ooops." But I made washcloths for myself. So, technically, I guess I met this one, too.
  Although, that wasn't really the spirit in which I meant this...
  
  
• Actually list an item for sale in my poor, empty etsy shop
  Yeah. This one? Didn't happen.
  I'm still trying to figure this one out. Every time I start to make something to sell, it just doesn't feel right, and I usually end up giving things away as gifts. On one hand, I love the idea of selling on etsy - on the other, I'm not comfortable with it. (I'm SO GLAD that most people don't have this problem, as I love to browse/shop there!) But for right now, I'm OK with not having met this goal.
  
  
• Meet another blogger face-to-face
  At the risk of sounding all boastful - I rocked this one!
  Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You and Thank You!
  
  
• Write a will
  OK - this just makes me mad. Bubba keeps saying that he's got the software, and that's we're more than halfway through, etc. I think I need to pitch a fit and make sure that this gets finished so that its not on the list for a second full year...
  
  
• Learn enough crochet to crochet in the round and make an amigurumi critter
  Meh? I made a granny square or two - but then lost momentum. May need to revisit this if the urge strikes again.
  
  
• Simplify and declutter
  I'm giving myself another "meh." on this one. Made HUGE inroads, but it's still not done. Must keep reminding myself that we've been in the same house for almost 16 years now, and this has never before been attempted. If it took 16 years to get to this point, I probably wasn't shoveling it all out in a few short weeks.
  
  

So - final analysis? I wasn't great, but I didn't totally suck either. I give myself a good solid "C" - maybe even a B- ('cause, thanks to y'all, I really was an overacheiver on that "meet other people" thing!)

And you know what?

I'm OK with that grade. I really am.

And that, my dear readers, kicks of the resolution/intention/goal for 2008: to be OK with it. With life, and stuff. And with myself.

Which is awkward - it's not measurable, it's not quantifiable, etc. And I do love me some metrics. I guess I'll just know it when I get there. And when I'm OK with it...

There is, however, one measurable and quantifiable portion to this though. (sigh) My weight.

Yeah, I said it. I've got to get a handle on this issue.

It's the one area of my life where I've just never been able to have any real, lasting success. And that is reeeeedonkulous.

Don't worry - I'm not going to turn BadFortuneCookie into a weight-loss blog. For starters, there are already so many of them out there, and they are far more fabulous at it than BFC would be. And secondly, when have any of you known me to focus my efforts on just one topic for any length of time here? :)

But I did feel the need to put this out there.

2008 is the year in which I need to lose 20 pounds.
And I need to still have it off at the year's end.

And that, my dear readers, is the part that always kicks my ass. I can lose it (or at least most of it - I tend to lose focus as I get closer to my goal) - but keeping it off? Not so much.

So - there it is, in scary black and white letters. Out there for everyone to see. I don't know why that's scary, but it just kind of is.

Some of you out there may be thinking, "20 pounds? Big whoop. I just saw some guy on The Biggest Loser lost that in a week!" Well - and trust me here - 20 pounds isn't going to make me sexy or hot. It's just going to make me healthy. To even approach the sexy/hot stuff, we'd be talking closer to 40 pounds. Which, given my success rate in the past seems as insurmountable as Mt Everest at this point. So, healthy it is. Also - I suspect that the heaviest part of this is going to be the looking inward to figure out the "why" of it all. So, that's why it's scary....

Anyhow - I'll try to spare you the worst of the amateur-hour self-analysis. Unless I figure it all out. Then I'll write a book, and become a bazillionaire overnight for uncovering the magic secret... :)

So here's to having a 2008 that I can be OK with.
And hopefully, maybe even a little proud of.

Because really, don't we all deserve at least that???


xo

A Very Nice Day, Indeed...

A lunch date, a makeover, and a package - oh my!

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Wow - it's just been like the good karma show around here lately...
Well, except for the part where I'm freezing my peaches off!*

Freezy cold weather aside, today has just rocked!

For starters, I learned something today: why learn to use makeup, when you can learn to use Photoshop????



Seriously - I was the recipient of a virtual makeover, courtesy of Jen of the Piddleloop Sewing Team. (She's is the one who made the little goldfish pouch that I am simply ga-ga over. Seems that Jen's mad skillz aren't just limited to sewing - she took pity on my poor little Wednesday Addams dark circles and spruced me up.
Big time.

(Seems to me that I once read somewhere that Cindy Crawford once said that not even she wakes up looking like Cindy Crawford. I could get addicted to having all my images heavily retouched!)

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The second nice thing today also allowed me to cross something off my list of intentions... Item # 4 "Meet another blogger face-to-face".

The salon where Amy from "3ToGetReady" gets her hair cut is literally right around the corner from my house - so she stopped by today after her haircut (and she looks fabulous, btw!) with one of her cute-as-a-button kids in tow - and the three of us went out to lunch.

They introduced me to a restaurant, right here in the hood, which I had never been to before and which I thoroughly enjoyed (best BLT ever, perhaps???)

But even better than the food was the company (and that really is saying something, because I'm telling you, that sammich was g-o-o-d!) YoungMissHattie was a such a sweetheart, and her good restaurant manners were a joy to watch. And Amy and I just got on like a house a-fire!

I had worried just a wee tiny bit - 'cause I'm a worrier like that - that it might be kind of awkward. There is sort of a strange "meeting a blind date" element to it all. But my fears were for nothing - Amy is every bit as charming and witty and fun as she seems from her blog, and the time went by far too quickly. My only regret was that we didn't get a chance to visit Knitch , but I am just hoping that means we'll have an excuse to get together after a future haircut visit!

I was somewhat restrained, and didn't pull out my camera and take a gazillion pictures - I didn't want to seem all stalkery, you know, what with it being a first date and all. But I do have a picture of the adorable tiny sweater she gave me! I just love this, and marvel that she's not all crosseyed from all the teeny tiny stitches!!!

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But the icing on top of my cupcake of a day was discovered when I tripped over a big box on the porch as I was waving "bye" to my delightful lunch companions... Seems the mail had been delivered...

Hello new kitchen timer! Goodbye old kitchen timer!

The old kitchen timer bears a striking resemblance to a microwave, doesn't it? I can see how you might think that. It did indeed used to be a microwave.
Until it broke in November.
Of 2005.

Now I know that most people would have gotten a new microwave right away - but I wanted to see if I really missed it that much. Plus, the holidays were coming up and I didn't want to spend money if I didn't need to.
After a few weeks, I realized that I didn't miss the microwave at all, so decided not to get a new one.

So why is the old, dead microwave still sitting on the counter? Easy - it's the only working kitchen timer in the house...

I've been looking for a good kitchen timer for a year now, and have found fault with every single one. Then I spied this little beauty in one of Jess Hutch's photos, and I was instantly smitten.
Some sleuthing, an order at cooking.com, and 10 days later, I've got my own version... I hope it works half as nicely as it looks, but on looks alone - isn't it a beauty? Preliminary tests show that it seems to work nicely enough, but I guess only time will tell...
Even its name is cute - it's called the Two-Timer!

So - now I just have to figure out what to do with an old, dead microwave...**

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*Many thanks go out to to MeLisa, who taught me that phrase. It's cracking me up...

**I know y'all must think that I make up these stories about just how inept I am around the house. And I will admit that stuff does seem to break a lot around here. But, all kidding aside, I don't embellish these stories. Sadly, I am truly this hopeless in the art of keeping a home.

You Say You Want A Resolution*...

My friend, The Caretaker, calls them intentions... I like that.

"Intentions" sound less threatening, far more achievable than "resolutions."

Also, doesn't it sound like a resolution would demand a nice quantifiable result? And the big things I aspire to in this New Year are not going to be tidily measurable.**

So - here are my intentions for 2007.

(You'll notice that neither "stop procrastinating" nor "stop over-thinking things" made the list...)

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It looks like the word for the year is going to be: be

I want to be more creative; I want to be more of a participant in life, rather than an observer; I want to be more present for the people that I love (that I sometimes take for granted.)

In addition to being - this year I would like to:

• Make something of my own design
  
  
• Make something for myself
  
  
• Actually list an item for sale in my poor, empty etsy shop
  
  
• Meet another blogger face-to-face
  
  
• Write a will
  This is just inexcusable that it's never been done....
  
  
• Learn enough crochet to crochet in the round and make an amigurumi critter
  
  
• Simplify and declutter
  This one is measurable, and I've been hard at work on an Excel spreadsheet typing up the list of all that needs to be done. But I figure that no-one (including me!) really wants to see a spreadsheet that says things like: dining room dresser - clean top drawer. dining room dresser - clean out second drawer... Sadly, if I don't make things that detailed, then it won't get done!

So that's it - the game plan for a happy 2007.
Won't you come along for the ride????

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*Sorry about that... Sometimes I just can't stop myself...

** Sorry, Bekka, I can't help that either... I'm just an accountability whore...