Happy New Year's!

One of my favorite Irish blessings:

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Wishing you many blessings in 2011, and praying that you'll have a year full of good health, good memories, and good friends. :)

Happy New Year! God Bless You!

My Big Fat 100 of 2011 list

Heather over at Sprittibee has posted her Big Fat Annual List of items that she'd like to accomplish. Since I've already been making my own sort of lists I decided that I'd play along. Plus, I function best under guilt and guilt is what I'll have if I don't cross items off of my list if it is public! I'm picking 100 so that I can have 10 goals in 10 areas. It's easy, and I'm lazy. (Look at the posts below... I've already completed a few areas so I'm almost cheating.) These are listed in no particular order. I may add some things and take away as we go. Goals are meant to be changed and updated. Unfortunately I can't peg what my year will be like (oh if I could!) so it might change, grow, and mutate. I'm labeling some items complete after three months of completion. Why? Because after three months (90 days) it should be a habit and part of my regular routine. I'll check them off as I complete them! I'm borrowing Heather's key, so look for that below.

So, grab a keyboard and type out your own. Link it over on the Big Fat Annual List post and you just might win a goodie that Heather is giving away!

Steph's Big Fat Annual List (even though this the first. Pretend it's annual.)

Key: BOLD Italics = current focus that month ; Strikeout =  completed

Household:
1. Make a budget. Jan '11
2. Stick to a budget for at least three months.
3. Learn to coupon and do it! Jan '11 BLOGGED
4. Work through the Declutter Calendar for at least three months.
5. Use the Motivated Moms chore calendar to stay ahead of the mess!
6. Organize our closet. Completely.
7. Organize the craft area. Completely.
8. Create extra income
9. Meal plan every week for three months
10. Create a weekly baking plan and complete it each week for three months

Faith:
1. Read through the Bible in 2011
2. Participate in one pastor-led Bible study
3. Develop a quiet time routine
4. Study and keep the Biblical holidays
5. Begin Bible study with my husband
6. Start - again - and complete the Power of a Praying Wife study
7. Complete the Power of a Praying Parent study
8. Read through my shelves (books on topics such as Holy Days, Hebrew roots of the faith, etc)
9. Begin keeping the Sabbath again
10. Read and utilize my Bible study books (How to Study the Bible for Yourself, and Discover the Bible for Yourself)

Service:
1. Cook a meal for the local Ronald McDonald House
2. Work money into the budget in order to regularly donate to our church's food pantry
3. Clean out closets and donate unused clothing to our church's clothing ministry
4. Choose one ministry to become involved in regularly at church
5. Mail already completed hats to my uncle's cancer treatment center
6. Create at least 36 hats for the cancer center (3 per month minimum)
7. Serve at least one meal at the local homeless shelter
8. Participate in Toys for Tots next Christmas
9. Renew my interest and support of our favorite missionary family!
10. Choose one ministry or organization to volunteer with regularly with the kid (her choice)

Homeschool:
1. Organize all of my materials (master list)
2. Create my record keeping system for transcripts
3. Plan three field trips for older students.
4. Write our goals for our daughter's education.
5. Continue our focus on the arts (links to my art goals)
6. Visit three college campuses
7. Create a better schedule so that we have more free time in our day Jan '11
8. Create our long term course of study for the high school years. Jan '11 BLOGGED
9. Prepare and utilize all of the information available at convention wisely
10. Journal, record, and photograph our homeschool life each month. (Completed after three months)

Art:
1. Learn to use my camera. Fully.
2. Learn to paint using watercolors.
3. Complete my "11 in '11" list on Ravelry
4. Sew a quilt
5. Visit the local art museum at least twice per month.
6. Attend one musical.
7. Attend one ballet.
8. Attend one play.
9. Truly study the life and work of one artist.
10. Work on at least two hand-stitching type of projects.

Self:
1. Begin the Family Herbalist course. Again. (done when three units have been completed) Jan '11
2. Form a habit of exercising at least three times a week.
3. Establish a regular bedtime routine/schedule.
4. Track food in WW's online tracker daily Jan '11
5. Be a better motivator and supporter to my mom and sister in our journey toward health Jan '11
6. Lose 10 pounds (total)
7. Lose 20 pounds (total)
8. Lost 40 pounds (total)
9. Maintain weight loss for three months
10. Buy one new (or new to me!) clothing item EACH MONTH

Reading:
1. Read one non-fiction title.
2. Read one fiction title out of my norm (scifi?)
3. Post two book reviews in January Reviews blogged HERE and HERE
4. Read one book on crafts as a business
5. Read one book on blogging
6. Read one homeschool book
7. Read one book about Christian marriage principles
8. Read one book about Christian homeschool principles
9. Join a book club
10. Read one book about health (that isn't required in the FH course)

Family:
1. Make time each day to talk with just my daughter
2. Make time each day to talk with just my husband
3. Call my sisters once a week. Each.
4. Choose one new person to write to each week. A real letter. On paper.
5. Have coffee once a month with my mom
6. Have a weekly date with my husband
7. Begin genealogy work again with mom and uncle
8. Start a card/game night
9. Paint the kid's room.
10. Don't let winter weather stop me! See my dad/stepmom at least two times over the winter.

Blog:
1. Create a blog calendar for three months.
2. Blog according to my schedule - as scheduled - for three weeks
3. Redesign the blog so it isn't so slow to load!
4. Have a banner, buttons, and logo created.
5. Become a regular reader on my favorite blogs
6. Understand and utilize statistics, etc
7. Blog the good, the bad, and the ugly.
8. Post a minimum of two book reviews per month
9. Document progress on all of my goal lists once per month: Jan '11
10. Learn how to blog WELL

WildCrickets Shop:
1. Redesign the shop banner
2. Understand and utilize social media
3. List ten new items in January Epic FAIL!
4. List ten new items in February
5. List ten new items in March
6. Clarify my goals for the shop
7. Create a plan for items, styles, designs (lines to be listed at certain seasons, etc)
8. Become a better team member
9. Attend one or more Etsy Virtual Labs per week
10. Understand and utilize Google analytics

Some artsy goals for '11

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.  ~ Thomas Merton

I've had a renewed focus on art in our homeschool and in my life during the last part of 2010. I'm feeling the need to make it even more a part of my life in 2011. I think it's a way to connect with who I was earlier in my life now that my daughter isn't in the "watch me 24 hours" stage any longer. It is probably a way to connect with loved ones no longer close to me. (My uncle that passed this year was very talented in nearly any art he tried, and my best "sister-friend" back home is a extremely talented artist... and she gets paid for it! ;)  Art brings me joy, and it brings me to a place of worship and praise for our Heavenly Father. I might not be good at it, but I enjoy it. I'm also focusing on JOY in 2011... and...


ART = JOY!



In 2011, I plan on...


Renewing my love of photography.
I took several classes in high school and again in college, and I absolutely lost my heart to photography. I haven't had the opportunity to spend much time on it over the years, and I miss it desperately. I've joined the masses of the quick instant photo to document my child's life. My black and white enlarger collected dust to the point that we sold it on Craig's List. My much loved Minolta needs a major overhaul. But, inside lurks a photo or two that would love to come out and play in the light. I'm starting fresh with a new digital that my mother bought me for Christmas (no fancy DSLR yet - but hopefully the budget will support it one day!), and I'm going to pretend that I've never taken photo one. I'm going to relearn the basics, practice with photo editing (I have nearly zero experience beyond the basics) and learn to love digital. I fought it for years, and now I will curtsy politely and make nice. 

Learn to paint with watercolors.
Again with the memories of bygone days, but once upon a time I did take a painting class. Because I was drawn to photography more than painting I only took two very basic classes that gave me a taste of acrylic, oil, and watercolor painting. My college classes focused more on drawing than painting. I never gave it a lot of focus, but now I would love to learn. My grandmother is a very talented artist who painted in watercolors, so again it's a way to connect with her. I'm armed with some basic materials and now challenged with finding some time to practice and play!


Knit and crochet for me (not just gifts or the shop.)
I love to create things with fiber, but I have a tendency to gift it away. I am going to set up my "11 for '11" list of projects over at Ravelry if anyone is interested in joining me! (Leave your Rav name in the comments and we'll connect!) I'd love to learn some new skills to kick it up a notch. Oh, and I need to finish a few projects. But I think that is another post...


Begin sewing again.
I love to sew, and my wonderful husband gave me a new sewing machine a few years ago. A move, family illness and random life bits have kept me from giving my machine the one-on-one time it needs. (I know I keep mentioning it but when you have two losses in one year with one involving cancer and treatments it seems to really be a focus - or stumbling block - that recurs month after month.) I have stacks of fabric and patterns galore. I'm going to sew. :) I want to complete another quilt. Yes, I machine quilt. Don't judge me. <insert giggle> Again, I have made one... and promptly gifted it. Apparently 2011 will be the year of creating selfishly because I would love to complete a quilt for us to keep here. Wall quilt, lap quilt, bed quilt. I'm not picky. Just a quilt, thanks.


Rejoin the local art museum and visit. Regularly.
We used to visit our museum so frequently that the docents knew my daughter's name. They would keep stickers behind the desk to give her after she showed them what she had sketched in the galleries or in the sculpture garden. In 2011, I want to return enough that a docent knows our names. 


See at least three shows this year.
We've only made it to one show a year over the last few. In 2010, it was Cats for my daughter. She loved it! This year, I would love to see one musical, one ballet, and one play. Here's hoping that I can make that goal. We used to attend our local high school's productions... more fun. My daughter loves it, and I want to instill in her that art is important. A large difference between our society and the society of the past is that the arts weren't just appreciated they were assumed. Art and music were a given part of life, even in families who weren't financially blessed. (Family music around the piano, anyone?) I dream of changing even just our family... if it is important to me then it will hopefully be important to our daughter, and her daughter, and her daughter. Our impact is great, and we can use this to share our faith, our knowledge, and our passion. Art = passion if you haven't guessed yet!


What are you going to work on in 2011? Find a passion. Art or not. Just don't tell me if it isn't art. (Just kidding!)

New Ideas for the New Year

What are your New Year's resolutions? Do you make them?

Every December I think the same thing... "I should make some resolutions." Not this year. This year I said something different. I told myself that I was going to make some changes. Changes can be permanent. Resolutions, for me at least, never are. It think that we have been trained as a society to think that we need to get it in gear, make our list, check it twice (wait - wrong holiday), and get to resolving come January 1.

This year I'm targeting some very specific goals. I'll share the specifics once I have it all figured out, but here are my big areas:


Faith... putting God first in my life, my day, my home, my actions (volunteering will be a focus as well)

Food... eating as I know I should, preparing as I know I can, and planning as I know I ought

Finances... building a budget, sticking with it, and putting an additional focus on saving

Family... we can all tighten up this area with more time, more togetherness, more calls and letters to those far away
 
Organization... home, time, education (both my own and our child's!)

Creativity... make time for the crafts and arts that I enjoy, have a renewed focus on the WC shop

 
Evidently I had an "F" theme going there for a while which makes me giggle for a bit considering I'm a Stephanie F. (Or it could be that I've overloaded on the sugar this season. See above category for "food.") I'm intentionally leaving out the health/exercise category. Though I let it falter after life got crazy with family illness and the holidays this will be an area of focus. However, I'm not setting it aside as an area of change. It's more like an area of "get back to what you were doing" so that I can conquer my previously set goals.

I'm very excited that I'll be getting back to my own self education in 2011. I've let it slip over the years. Being mom sometimes means that you don't carve out the time that you need to just for your own improvement. I've been a student of the Family Herbalist program with Vintage Remedies for.... um... a while!  I've made a commitment to finish the course in 2011! I'm so excited! I've decided to start fresh since it's been quite a while since I've completed the first few units. To start the ball rolling I've been organizing, reading, and getting all of my emails and log in information squared away. Monday won't just be the day we start homeschooling again. ;) My goal is to first complete the Family Herbalist course with a definite eye toward possibly completing one of the advanced/professional courses after that. That decision will come later in the year. For now it is one step at a time. One goal at a time!

The year 2010 was a hard year in my family. We saw illness and death. Loss and tragedy. But we also saw sunshine and friendship. Successes to balance the failures. I'm looking forward to 2011 with great expectations. It may be a man-made concept that is treasured and preserved in our society, but the idea of starting fresh and new this time of year is welcomed by me with a cup of tea and a cookie. :)

“For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.” T.S. Eliot