Lemon Tree Tales: Goals for 2010

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone enjoyed their holiday. I was frantically trying to get Miss Molly's vest completed but then decided to relax once it was 10:30 pm or so. I'm glad that I did because it turned out that the vest needed more work. That's now done and I'll post pictures tomorrow when the light is better. We ended up spending a quiet evening at home relaxing and contemplating the new year.

I'm not really big on follow-through with my resolutions every year. Perhaps this year will be different? The main thing is to simplify/organize/reduce. I think there's too much hidden clutter in my house - in closets, kitchen cabinets, and the garage. So I'm going to tackle one area at a time. A couple weeks ago I got to the two drawers in the master bathroom. They're now clean, organized and only hold the items that I need. It's a nice feeling. The main goal is that by the end of the year the entire house will be pared down to essentials and things that we really use. Plus it will have been deep cleaned! Maybe even a little decorating here and there.

I'll extend the concept of simplify/organize/reduce to my computer as well. It's so filled with pictures that need to be deleted. The downside to digital cameras is that you can take dozens of shots in the hopes of getting the best one. The problem is that I'm not good at deleting the bad or so-so ones once I've selected the good ones. My poor computer is overloaded. Oh, plus have you ever gone through and organized your browser bookmarks? I have so many that it's not useful at all.

The next one is to really make a dent in my UFOs. Thanks to Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie Studio's UFO challenge of 2009, I'm already on the way. Not to mention that I've been pretty good about completing major dolls these last four months - the Handmaiden Faerie, Lady Henrietta Constantine the Gossip, and tomorrow Miss Molly. Along the way I'll pare down things/supplies that I no longer need in my studio. There's an entire bookcase full of books that's in the closet BEHIND the fabric drawers. They aren't easily accessible so I'm wondering how many of them that I actually need to keep. Look for book sales soon!

The fourth item is the most important one of all - me. I need to get healthy this year! That means eating more vegetables (I do like roasted green beans with new potatoes and shallots), less fast food, and walking. I'd also like to get my hair cut and be more conscious of what I wear. I've gotten into the horrible habit of not wearing thoughtful outfits unless I'm going somewhere nice. That needs to stop.

And finally I want to redo the look of my blog. It's long overdue for a new banner and a complete overhaul. That's not a necessity but it certainly is something I'm looking forward to doing.

Ahhh, it's good to get that written down. Now to actually get to it. In the meantime, I'll leave you with pictures of the two Tiny World pincushions that I made on New Year's Day for two of my doll making friends. There's a third one, but the recipient hasn't seen it yet. (Mimi Kirchner is the creator of Tiny Worlds and sells the Tiny World pattern on etsy.)

Tiny World teacup with saucer pincushion for Valerie