Now how about some resolutions? As I look back on 2007 I must say that it is a year that I don't think I would want to relive. There were some great times, but there was also a lot of badness that I would like to leave behind. Like every New Year, 2008 is a chance for a fresh start so I will start with some goals to get me going in the right direction.
1.
Consume less- I make this goal every year and I do think that as the years go by I am consuming less. This year I want to focus on the items I buy. When I have to buy I want to buy things that can be reused and that will last. I need to ask myself "Do I really need this?" every time I pick up an item, especially at yard sales and thrift stores.
2.
Minimize my stuff- Ultimately I would like to cut my personal belongings by 50%. I own so much stuff that I don't use and that might be used by someone else. I have tons of clothes that don't fit or that I don't like and I have at least 4 pairs of shoes that have holes or are missing soles. I also have a bunch of kitchen appliances that I haven't used since moving to Lexington. I want to get rid of the stuff I don't use and be more mindful of the things that I bring into the house. All this stuff is starting to become a mental illness.
3.
Move into a new apartment- Our apartment is way too big for us and honestly it has never felt like home. I want to move into a smaller place which will save on rent and utilities. If I follow through with resolution #2 the new place will be less cluttered which will help us keep it clean. I also want to paint the walls and decorate so that we feel like it is home.
4.
Work less- I start my new work schedule tomorrow which I think is really going to make things better for me. Less time working means more time enjoying life which is something I really need to do.
5.
Save more money- I set a savings goal last year, but I didn't follow through with it. We have the same amount in savings now as we had at the end of last January (well a bit more with the interest.) While I think that it is nice we didn't tap into the savings it would be so much better if we added to that. We are cutting a few of our monthly expenses to help boost the savings. As usual I have a list of ways to save more money.
- Eat more meals at home- I won't disclose the amount we currently spend eating out, but I will say that it is enough to pay the rent on a small apartment. I love to cook and we eat much better at home so I am really going to try and make more dinners. I am also going to try a greater variety of dishes that require me to learn new things.
- Go to the library more- Even with the fines the library is cheaper than a bookstore. We only live a few blocks from the library and the Tuesday night knitting group meets next door to the library so I have plenty of chances to fulfill all of my literary needs.
- Use what I have- I want at least 50% of my projects this year to be from supplies I already own.
- Cut my own hair- The other day I finally got tired of my hair being so long and after failing to get an appointment at the salon I just started cutting it off. My thought was that at least it would be shorter and I could always get it fixed at the salon later. After the initial cut (were I put my hair in a ponytail and cut off 10") I just took a little off at a time and I ended up with one of my favorite haircuts ever.
6.
Be more social- I have really become a homebody since moving to Lexington (okay, I was a bit of a homebody in Va. too) and I really want to change that. I need to go out more and socialize. I get invited to things all of the time and I bail on at least 75% of the invites. I think I might have a mild social anxiety and it is only going to get worse if I keep shutting myself in.
For my birthday I received a copy of Pluckyfluff's new book, Intertwined
. I already own her self-published book, Handspun Revolution which I love. After experiencing the size of the first book, I was pleasantly surprised at the size of this one; Intertwined is over 300 pages of excellent freestyle spinning information. The book is filled with tons of great pictures and personal accounts from other spinners on the creations of their yarns. It includes over 30 projects made with art yarns and instructions on how to get the most out of the yarns you spin and how to knit for the yarn. My favorite part of the book so far is Chapter 2- Start to Finish: A Spinner's Journal. Three different spinners kept a journal of their yarn creations through the process of designing, spinning and creating a project from their handspun. My first "project" from this book is spinning fabric. I have a box of tour dresses that I can't seem to get rid of for sentimental reasons. I was planning on cutting them up and making them into something else, but I still haven't so I am going to look for some accents and dye some roving to go with one of them and see what kind of yarn I can get.
