Everyone else is doing it

I really don't want to recap 2012. Suffice to say the year was full of highs and lows. Both my sister in law and I gave birth to gorgeous babies (if I do say so myself.) But we suffered two unexpected losses, that of my uncle, followed a few months later by the loss of my husband's father. Everything in between seems rather sedate by comparison I think.

The sewing/crafting front saw its own share of highs and lows. I blew threw a bunch of projects around Mayish or so but succumbed to a frightening loss of mojo and turned out nothing of great importance for the rest of the year. The living room is littered with false starts and so so completes. So we're just going to call that a wash and move on.

On the domestic front, I actually feel I did pretty good. I've still not managed any semblance of organization, nor have I made great strides in the housekeeping sector. But I did institute some traditions that are officially part of our routine. Friday Movie Night has continued merrily along, Sunday dinner is nothing short of a success, and Saturday breakfast, peteybird's brain child, has been a fantastic way to compensate for Mr Man's 60 hour work week.

But enough about 2012. Let's talk the new year. I'm thinking five challenges and ten goals. I could probably come up with some fancy reasoning but let's just make it simple. I want to do better. That's really all there is to it. I made some strides last year. I won't bore you with the details. But there's always room for more. Just don't expect some kind of weight loss/exercise plan. I'm not even. We'll save that for 20dead.

So, let's start with the challenges and tomorrow, I'll share the goals. How's that?

Challenge #1: Daily Blogging

This is one is rather easy as I already mentioned it before. I will be blogging daily. I have promised Bear Allen and Bear Allen will shove me down a flight of stairs and lock me in a dog crate if I don't comply. At least this is what her husband says is the consequence of disappointing captain reading pants. I'm really not sure but I'm not in the mood to test her. Okay, really, I'm just not in the mood to throw down on pregnant ladies and I'm entirely too forgetful to remember to save my beatdowns for post partum.

Challenge #2: Knit/Crochet for an hour a day

Can I just share with you how much I adore sitting down at the end of the day, tucking my legs and my dog underneath a blanket on the couch and just chilling out with something soft on my needles? Oh yes, I do. It's very calming, reflective, and just a great way to clear your mind and settle for sleep. This will also help me carve out some time for all the knit projects that often fall by the wayside when I get a glimpse of a yummy fabric or lustworthy pattern.

Yeah, yeah, you wanna know about that advent scarf, don't you? Well here's a song for you.

Challenge #3: The Dreamstress's Historical Sew Fortnightly 

Did you notice my new bloggie button on the right hand side of the page? Well, there you go. Here's a link where you can read more about the challenge in general but I think you'll agree an announcement like that requires its own post. You should also be aware that I received my winnings the day after Christmas and will be blogging about that soon too.

Challenge #4: Sew simple each week

Look, I'm swimming in stash, okay? It really and truly is out of hand. I started and stopped an awful lot last year and have very few things to show for it. I also need more versatile, more grown up, more coordinated clothes in my wardrobe so yes, I'm going to work on it. We're not talking complicated outfits. Just something simple and easy either for myself or for the spawnlets. I think a cute knit tee in a blue, white, and silver stripe will be just the thing to get me started. But I won't lie. I think this one will be my most challenging one to stick with. I'm sure Bear Allen will be happy to add this to her list of things to pester a hot mess about.

Challenge #5: Budget, budget, budget

This one is also a humdinger. I won't be blogging much about it, however as I'm just not feeling the idea of sharing my entire financial picture with the whole wide internet. Suffice to say, we make enough to live on and live decently I might add *if* we pay attention to how we spend it. I'd like to get on the front end of our finances instead of feeling like I'm always falling behind or missing something.

But there are benefits to thee ol' humble blog. For one, I'll be resurrecting the weekly menu segment I was doing earlier this year. The budget is pretty much the same, $125/week for groceries. The menu will usually consist of Sunday dinner, Saturday breakfast, two crockpot meals for those extra curricular days, and Friday's junk food make over.

So there it is and it feels so very brave and yet completely possible, even, dare I say it? Likely.

But if you know me . . . . well, wish me luck anyway, okay?

A dim and blurry Christmas

I think it's well established that a) I have a crappy camera and b) I take crappy pics. So I'm sure you'll be double shocked that my Christmas pictures could put an issue of Family Circle to shame.

HA!

::le sigh::

I'm going to console myself with the fact that I didn't have to spend my time threatening lives until I got the perfect shot. I just took these and kept on trucking.

Wanna see?

Red Velvet Cake

The haul
(Pay no attention to the fabric explosion in the corner)

The Tree
(And more fabric explosion plus UPS leavings)

Christmas morning comes early when you're short/old

Grandma send me a glowworm!
And no, grandma, you didn't need to see my face.

I love how appetizing food looks with really awesome lighting.
Also, my ham is hiding and my stuffing looks really sad.

Gimme my pot pie!
(Please say you get that reference or we can't be friends.)

In conclusion, I know only five of you will actually care about this post, because really, it's awful. But I promised Bear Allen I would blog daily, and blog daily I will.

Okay, so the five people part is really, really generous. I can tell you my mama cares, Bear Allen cares, Heather cares because she loves me and fuss cares because she loves my kids. I swear I will atone for all the ills of this post with the remainder of the week.

Deal?

Deal.

Merry Christmas from the Hot Mess Household.

Challenge Accepted!

So I have this friend, a rather pushy friend who is always blathering to me about what an ungrateful hussy I am and how I never give her enough shout outs for generally being rather awesome and specifically, feeding my sewing inspiration and trying to resurrect my sewing and blogging mojo.

But she lies, I tell you, LIES!!! This friend is none other than the lovely, intellegent, fellow hot mess, Ms Bear Allen over at the wonderful Black, White, and Read Book Challenge, whom I mention fairly often.

Her grousing is your gain, however, because she has issued me a challenge of my very own. And yes, I'm well aware that my record in that department can best be described as dismal but whatever, we will press on. And what is this challenge you might ask?

Bear Allen has demanded that I post once a day even if it's just a few lines.

I'm sure you'll all wondering what the hell I have to say that's worthy of a daily check in but you'll just have to wait, now won't you? But I promise, it's rather good. I can give you a few hints if you like. But only if you ask nicely.

The challenge starts Monday.

Squee!!

P.S. My mantle is short one stocking because that picture is from last year's cleaner, neater Christmas display and not this year's sewing crap and clean laundry strewn all over the place hot messathon.

Merry Christmas indeed.

What day is it?

It's totally December 1, right? RIGHT??

::sigh::

Well, I've recovered my lost work so that's something. 

I think.

Here's a close up shot. As I'm not using circular needles, there's only so much room to spread it out. But I think you can catch the general drift. It looks less impressive this way, I think.

Two more repeats and I'll be finished with Day 1. Maybe I'll have a scarf by Valentine's. 

Dear Advent Scarf,

Posting uncharitable things about an advent scarf goes against the purpose of said advent scarf and thus it will merely be noted that the hot mess is ever a hot mess and will be starting with a fresh spirit come morning.

::sigh::