Reflections: 2013 Edition

At the end of each year, I try to sit down and reflect upon the last year while looking forward to the next. I don't write too many personal posts these days, but this one is both personal and rather long. If you're up for it, come along with me.

This was a good year. Of course, there were ups and downs, but I think that we achieved a good balance in many areas of our lives.

I felt the itch to do something beyond parenting, and I was lucky enough to find an opportunity to work part-time in my favorite area of law. As it's on a contract basis, I can only hope that the opportunity will continue into 2014. I've picked up a tiny pro bono commitment this year, and I really think that it's one of the best ways that I spend my time. I like to think that feeling more professionally satisfied makes me a better wife and mother, too.

George finished a very busy and demanding year at work, and he sets a stellar example of how to work hard but then leave the work at work. He did a little bit of travel this year, but otherwise, he kept his work pretty well confined to working hours. I feel extraordinarily lucky to not have to sacrifice much personal time with George in favor of his professional endeavors; I hear the stories of my friends, and I recognize how incredibly fortunate I am. Of course, I also see how lucky I am when I see George with Madeleine.

As a couple, we've made our relationship a priority, and getting a standing babysitter is one of the best decisions we made this year. It's so nice to know that we have those established dates when we can either cozy up in the corner of a restaurant somewhere or spend an evening catching up with friends without Madeleine's company.

Speaking of Madeleine, raising Madeleine just gets more and more fun! When we rang in 2013 in Wellington, she was very much a baby. Today, she is very much a toddler. Madeleine runs and walks, stomps and marches, climbs and slides. Her vocabulary is going to outpace mine soon, and she is starting to have an opinion (watch out, world!). Words can't describe the joy I feel in watching Madeleine explore and test her world, develop relationships with people, and learn new things. I have gone back and forth, trying to find the right balance of structured and unstructured activities for us during our days together, a struggle that will continue into 2014. I can't believe that even though she isn't even two years old yet, I already worry about whether she'll turn out okay if she's not enrolled in music or dance class. #firstworldproblems

In 2014, I'd like to see both George and me find time for our hobbies. I'm lucky enough to get time when Madeleine naps and after she goes to bed, but I need to make support for George's hobby time a priority, too.

On my hobby front, I have a feeling that things are going be be shifting in the new year. I'll still be crafting, but I imagine the pace slowing as our house is filling up and my interests are starting to change. I hope to continue sewing, and I have two quilting goals: make the first quilt (of several, probably) for Madeleine out of her weekly photo fabric and make a quilt for our house. While my basic machine has taken me a long way, I'm jonesing for an upgrade, so we'll see if that happens. Speaking of learning machines, I'd like to teach myself some photography beyond point-and-shoot, which is currently how I use our DSLR. Any suggestions on where to start are greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure where this lil' blog is headed in the new year. It's not disappearing, but this is the second year in a row that I've thought that I should split my personal blogging from crafty/sewing blogging. Saying (or typing, as the case may be) it out loud is the first step. I doubt that I'm going to be keeping up the thrice weekly pace in 2014...but I will still be around.

On a higher level, I am going to make a concerted effort to enjoy more and compare (much, much) less. It is so easy to lose the joy in the things you do/have/etc. by looking at the things others do/have/etc. I also want to make sure that I'm doing the things I'm doing out of the right motivation. I want to create things out of creative desire and necessity, not out of desire to show off the final product.

Fitness continues to be a goal and challenge in our house. While I had a great routine going from about March through late summer, things have really fallen apart since then. While I'd like to have a good gym and fitness routine going, I'm even more interested in finding ways to be more active in general. The older Madeleine gets, the more important it is that we model this behavior.

While I could go on and on about areas of my life that I would like to see get some attention in 2014, I'm going to stop. One of the things I most hope to master (or at least improve) in 2014 is the ability to limit the things that I take on and give myself fully to the things I choose rather than spread myself too thin across far too many things.

If you've made it this far, thanks for coming along on this journey with me. As 2013 comes to a close, what are your reflections on the year? What do you hope to get out of 2014?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and yours...

...from us and ours.

Our Christmas Home

I've been showing you Christmas projects throughout this month, and today I want to welcome you into our home to see how I've put all the projects together.

Most of the Christmas action is going on in our formal livingroom, a space we don't ordinarily use very much. It's nice to have the tree and other decorations luring us into the room a few times a day.

While I tried to make the formal livingroom really bright and semi-modern, I wanted the family room to feel a little more cozy, eclectic, and slightly rustic.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram and might be wondering what happened to toothpaste deer, this is him. The original paint color made him look like he'd bathed in toothpaste, so I rescued him with some metallic copper paint.

I loved my faux tree so much last year that decided to make one again this year.

To change things up, I packed up our salmon decorations and filled the shelved with festive items. I wrapped some books and empty boxes with craft paper to help fill up the space.

I even spruced up our kitchen table, where we share virtually all of the meals we eat at home. George calls these placemats cheesy. I'll let you decide.

Phew. Last night, I finished the two gifts that I made Madeleine for Christmas, so I think I'm finally ready for the big day, which we'll spend enjoying each other at home.

In case you missed any of them, be sure to check out this year's A Pinterest Christmas projects:
Felt ball garland
Tiny bell Christmas tree
Painted pinecones
Felt toddler Christmas tree
Simple and cozy Christmas decorations
Wine cork tree and wreath
Glitter reindeer silhouette
Christmas table runners
Linen stockings

A Pinterest Christmas: Linen Stockings

The time has come for this year's edition of A Pinterest Christmas to end. I thought I'd end with the project I made to go the distance: family stockings.

I fell in love with the Pinspiration project:

Pin. Source.

My version turned out to be pretty green. The linen was left over from another project, and the lining and rope loops come from old mailroom bags that I wanted to repurpose. I washed and dried both fabrics before starting, and I used a pattern that I made up and transferred onto heavy cardboard with the liner one being slightly smaller than the outer pattern.

The final product is intentionally plain. I have plenty of ideas about how we can change up some little accents each year (like adding decorative pins like the original, or adding letters like this). I made enough stockings for our whole family (George, me, and the total number of kids we hope to eventually have), so I'll probably find a permanent way to affix everyone's name to a stocking after we're all done adding members to our family.

For now, I like that they are a new tradition in the making while this year's colorful decorations get to take center stage.

Do you use the same stockings every year or get new ones? Are there any other Christmas decorations you count on seeing year after year?

Ready for more Christmas inspiration? Check out the rest of the Pinterest Christmas gang throughout the month of December:

Misha: Emerald City Diaries
Maggi: Greg, Maggi, and Rodney
Abbi: The Pena Family
Kendra: The Gilbertson Family

Want to see the rest of this year's projects?
Felt ball garland
Tiny bell Christmas tree
Painted pinecones
Felt toddler Christmas tree
Simple and cozy Christmas decorations
Wine cork tree and wreath
Glitter reindeer silhouette
Christmas table runners

A Pinterest Christmas: Christmas Table Runners

Confession time: This project wasn't really inspired by any particular pin. Rather, I just decided that I wanted Christmas table runners. I also decided to frame some fabric to hang above the sideboard. So I did it.

Between my stash and some discount holiday fabric, I identified six coordinating fabrics to frame and use for table runners. The runners I'm using this year are the theme fabric with red accents, and I also made one with the blue/green accent fabrics that I'll use another year.

Recognize those trees? This year, I added a new green yarn tree and a new green felt tree, inspired by this pin.

They are busy enough that they don't need a whole lot added to them, and I'm especially loving my battery-operated (complete with auto timer!) pillar candles.

What's in the center of your table this year?

Ready for more Christmas inspiration? Check out the rest of the Pinterest Christmas gang throughout the month of December:

Misha: Emerald City Diaries
Maggi: Greg, Maggi, and Rodney
Abbi: The Pena Family
Kendra: The Gilbertson Family

Want to see the rest of this year's projects?
Felt ball garland
Tiny bell Christmas tree
Painted pinecones
Felt toddler Christmas tree
Simple and cozy Christmas decorations
Wine cork tree and wreath
Glitter reindeer silhouette
Linen stockings

A Pinterest Christmas: Glitter Reindeer Silhouette

Today's project was inspired by this pin of a glittery reindeer:

Pin. Original Source.

For my reindeer, I decided to repurpose a canvas on which I had painted the Chinese symbols for double happiness for decoration at our old house. Even with a few coats of craft paint, the thicker under layer of paint didn't cover as well as I would have liked, but my reindeer still brings me a smile when I look at him.

Are you incorporating any faux animals into your holiday decorations this year?

Ready for more Christmas projects? Check out the rest of the Pinterest Christmas gang throughout the month of December:

Misha: Emerald City Diaries
Maggi: Greg, Maggi, and Rodney
Abbi: The Pena Family
Kendra: The Gilbertson Family

Want to see the rest of this year's projects?
Felt ball garland
Tiny bell Christmas tree
Painted pinecones
Felt toddler Christmas tree
Simple and cozy Christmas decorations
Wine cork tree and wreath
Christmas table runners
Linen stockings

Mele Kalikimaka!

We just got back from a wonderful week in sunny Hawaii. It wasn't particularly exciting, but George and I got some big thrills out of watching Madeleine explore one of our favorite places: the beach. Madeleine loved the sand and ocean, aka "pool!" It was fun to hear her vocabulary expand in a new environment and to generally just enjoy each other's company.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the week:

Madeleine loved to run around the grounds of the condo we rented.

This was Madeleine's first introduction to sand in its natural habitat.

A fellow tourist snapped a family photo on the northern coast of West Maui.

After having to be carried near the coast, this little girl was happy to be on her own two feet again.

She loved to go back and forth between the sand and surf, often with hands full of wet sand.

Sunset from South Maui

Do you think I'm wearing enough sunscreen?

Following in Daddy's footsteps, even at 18 months.

She couldn't get enough of the sand. Unfortunately, that often meant eating it, too.

We did a very (very) small portion of the Road to Hana, and she rode on Daddy's shoulders most of the way to and from a little waterfall.

On our last day, we checked out one of the few black sand beaches on Maui.

I'm planning to pass along a few more details of our trip and some tips in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

A Pinterest Christmas: Wine Cork Tree and Wreath

I hope you've been drinking your fair share of wine because today I have two cork projects to share (not to be confused with the three yarn/sweater projects from yesterday).

Yep, I made another wreath. My mom always had wreaths hanging up around the house while I was growing up, so I'd like to think that I get my love of wreaths honestly. This one was inspired by this Good Housekeeping one:

Pin. Original Source.

It wasn't quite as easy as it looks, but I thoroughly enjoyed the hour or so that I spent making it with a friend. I modified mine by using silver bells and hot gluing the bells in place. Ta-da!

I also made some of my corks into cute little trees, inspired by this pin:

Pin. Original Source.

Bonus? Because hot glue holds corks together without being permanent, you can take the tree apart at the end of the season and use your corks for another fabulous cork craft project.

Are you making any projects that can be repurposed after Christmas?

Are you ready for more Christmas projects? Check out the rest of the Pinterest Christmas gang throughout the month of December:

Misha: Emerald City Diaries
Maggi: Greg, Maggi, and Rodney
Abbi: The Pena Family
Kendra: The Gilbertson Family

Want to see the rest of this year's projects?
Want to see the rest of this year's projects?
Felt ball garland
Tiny bell Christmas tree
Painted pinecones
Felt toddler Christmas tree
Simple and cozy Christmas decorations
Glitter reindeer silhouette
Christmas table runners
Linen stockings

A Pinterest Christmas: Simple and Cozy Christmas Decorations

I have three soft and cozy projects to share with you today. These guys are more winter than Christmas-specific, though I chose to do mine in red, green, and white.

Let's start with the simple yarn wreath, which wasn't inspired by any particular pin but rather by lots of cute yarn wreaths I've seen floating around the web. I made this by simply wrapping yarn around a foam wreath form. Easy-peasy and oh so flexible. 

While I had the yarn out, I wrapped some styrofoam balls to make yarn balls, a la this pin:

Pin. Original Source.

I ended up a dozen balls of varying size, depending upon how many times I wrapped them. 

As you can see, I also wrapped a couple of vases with sweaters. I should confess that this project was on last year's Christmas crafting list, and I never quite got around to making them. Isn't the inspiration pin beautiful? 

Pin. Original Source.

I don't think that mine turned out quite as well, but they make a pretty decent grouping with my yarn balls and battery candle. 

How are you making your home feel warm and cozy this holiday season? 

Are you ready for more Christmas projects? Check out the rest of the Pinterest Christmas gang throughout the month of December:

Misha: Emerald City Diaries
Maggi: Greg, Maggi, and Rodney
Abbi: The Pena Family
Kendra: The Gilbertson Family

Want to see the rest of this year's projects?
Felt ball garland
Tiny bell Christmas tree
Painted pinecones
Felt toddler Christmas tree
Wine cork tree and wreath
Glitter reindeer silhouette
Christmas table runners
Linen stockings