The New Year

OK...so today I got a break...both DH and my older DD went back to their usual routines and I got to get back to mine. After getting DD off to school, I hit the grocery store with the little one, then back home...and I decided that I have to do something besides this smock for my mom's co-work...that yarn is just so little, it's making me crazy!! Of course, I'll still do it, but that doesn't mean I won't complain, just a little, while I do it. I've finished everything else for this baby set, but the smock seems to take forever just to see a bit of difference. Good thing I told Mom I'd have the set done before the end of January, cause this smock is going to take forever!!

So, to save my sanity and give myself some instant satisfaction, I worked on some of my own patterns...the quilt squares. I started with just over 60 classic quilt squares that I loved the look of and thought I could translate into crochet....love the look of quilts and the tradition of them, but my sewing machine has me completely intimidated, so now I think I can actually make quilt-looking things!! Yay me! OK, so I've got a few of the finished, tested, and completed squares up on my etsy shop....but I still have so many more that I have all written up, just have to actually make them to test the patterns and then take pics of them before I can list them....and I'm thinking that once I get them all ready to list, I'm going to offer groups of the patterns for themed blankets, or squares that look good together....but first I have to get them finished....

And I also know that unless I make myself focus on these squares, I will keep running with the ideas that pop into my head and keep me from sleeping...and then all the work I put into these squares will be for nothing...so I've given myself the goal of getting all the squares made up & ready for listing by the end of June. Then I will allow myself to work on the patterns that are becoming an obsession for me. I am going to continue to write down my ideas, sketch them up, jot down basic concept info...but that's it. I want to get the rest of the finished patterns worked up first.

So, today I got 2 squares worked up. Tonight I'll work on the smock. I'll probably stick with that sort of schedule...do the squares during the day and the smock at night...or vice versa....it's the only way I'll get things done...and the squares will help me feel that I'm actually accomplishing something cause that smock sure won't til I finish it!!

And today, even though I've now caught the cold the girls have been dealing with for the last 2 weeks, I started my workout program. I did the 1 Mile workout from Walk Away the Pounds, and then did the abdominal workout that DH set up for me. When he set up his own exercise program and actually stick with it, his results were amazing...so I'm hoping they at least help me with losing weight and toning up some...whatever I get, I'll be happy with cause it's better than what I'm doing now...or at least better than what I was doing up until today. I will be walking at least 1 mile a day, then doing a workout targeting one body area on every weekday. Weekends I have off. I'm aiming to lose 5 pounds a month...just about 75 pounds total I think....I've already lost 2.5 pounds and I'm determined to lose more and get in better shape...I've been saying this for years, but I'm just so tired of hurting and hating the way I look. I hate to see pictures of myself. I hate to look in the mirror. And I HATE shopping for clothes!!! With a passion!! I just want to get down to a 12/14 and I'll be thrilled...my brain can't really conceive of me being any smaller than that LOL!! The last time I wore a size 12, I was 12 years old. I have this outfit that I bought, just a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, but they're in size 12/14. This is my goal outfit. I am determined that I will be able to wear that outfit by November 2007...before my friend's wedding. I'd love to go back to North Carolina and just shock everyone with my new look!!

Anyway, enough babbling....suffice to say that I'm very proud of myself for getting started. I'm off to deal with the munchkins now and maybe start another of my squares....