Talkin' 'Bout My Resolution

I've always been a bit spotty about making and keeping resolutions. There are the ubiquitous ones like losing weight and saving money. There are the abstract ones like being a better person or laughing more. Generally, I like to fall somewhere in between, and I find making plans rather than just goals a lot more helpful. So here goes...

1. Make crafting a priority
My job is far from fulfilling as a creative outlet, but often I let myself get lazy when I get home. While I have to remember that I need time to rest, crafting is also very cathartic and therapeutic for me. It's also important to make it a focus if I want to reach my eventual goal of owning my own fabric store and studio.

2. Be more active
I don't mean just physically, although that is part of it. I feel better and have more energy when I get a bit of exercise, not to mention crack Bats up with my antics on Wii Sports. (I am not the most coordinated person.)
I also want to just do more. More craft fairs, more with Crown Town Handmade, more with Bats, more with friends. I need more experiences and connections. I think that's also going to tie into my first goal. I'm excited for some of the crafting and convention fun I already have planned.

3. Don't be so hard on myself
I know that I am my own worst enemy. I will stop being so hard on myself for flaws that only I seem to see.

4.Stop spending money for no reason
I am horrible about spending money on nothing for no reason. This year I want to be much better about spending and buying and saving and making what I have work. I'm thinking of setting a monthly limit for all non-essentials and posting purchases to my blog so I have to be accountable. (Being an adult is stupid.)

5. Continue rocking my outfits
That one is ( I hope) self explanatory. Sometimes I'm feeling lazy or in a bad mood and I just don't want to bother with putting outfits together, but it honestly does make me feel better.

Have I mentioned I love the peacock dress? I don't feel I mention this enough. It's really hard to be a in a crappy mood with a giant peacock on your clothing.

December Baubled Bangled Christmas Tree

In December I FINALLY got some new glasses (for the first time in about 5 years). There are very nerdy.

I wore them with the remainder of my 30 for 30 outfits. I really enjoyed doing this and it encouraged me to try some looks and mix some patterns I probably wouldn't have otherwise. It is really hard to get dressed afterwards though, so many clothes to choose from!

Bats is very big on Toys for Tots, being a huge action figure nerd. He had the idea for this Cobra Commander, which we put on Ebay for charity. He ended up going for $75. Yay!

I also participated in All Arts Market...which I just blogged about.

I also spent several days dressing in the Christmas spirit.

And wearing my many Christmas t-shirts. This is what I wore to go watch Tron.

And if you're wondering about the post titles...

November's Gusty Gale

In November, I participated in my first 30 For 30. I had a lot of fun with it and it's definitely something I plan to do again.

 

I made this awesome scarf too.

As well as several more and some little quilts in preperation for the All Arts Market in December.

And of course I wore the peacock dress.

I also made this little commissioned dolly.

Creeper!

No,  not this kind...

...or this kind...

...THIS KIND!

Don't mind the crazy face, give him a cuddle!

Creeper was part of a large set of custom dolls. I also made...

Ambush Bug with a snazzy outfit and Cheeks the Toy Wonder.

Ragman

Wrestler Colt Cabana

Wild Dog

And the main man, Lobo.

This set was insane fun to make, all the characters are interesting and almost every one offerered a new challenge or technique, like the patchwork on Ragman and the hockey mask on Wild Dog.

October With Witches, Goblins, and a Ghost

In October I enjoyed the spoils of the many thrift stores my mom and I went to during my visit. I love the print on this little skirt!

Bats tells me I have too many Halloween shirts, but I take the entire month of October to wear them. Also most other months. Halloween is my favorite!

I started the work on my memorail tattoo for my dad. This was my first ever tattoo and it's kind of huge and in a somewhat tender area. I seriously love it and I can't wait for it to be colored!

The temperatures began to get a little more tolerable and the fall colors started sneaking in.

I went to see Back to the Future at the theatre. (For I think the third time, I love me some 80's movies.)

I made and wore my Halloween costume. I was a mauled lion tamer. I made the skirt and hat and modified the jacket. The skirt is a little out there for daily wear (even for me), so I have to figure out more costumes that it can go with.

September I Will Ride a Crocodile

More nerdy plush were made in September. What were you expecting? Beach Head found a loving home. I will miss his teeny gun and grenades. Who knew weapons could be so cute!

There were more skirts to be made in September as well.

Toward the end of September, it was back to California for another visit with my mom. We hung around in Petaluma again and had a blast. We went to the California Academy of Sciences in San Fransisco. Yes, I voluntarily and gleefully will go to museums on my vacation. This was much to Bat's chagrin when we went to New York and I spent several hours scampering around the Museum on Natural History while he followed me and sat on benches. Anyway, the Academy of Sciences isn't really big but it has some amazing stuff. Like the giant indoor rainforest...

...and the living roof.

Also an albino alligator that kept us occupied for about 15 minutes with debating if he was real or not. Apparently his name is Cluade, he was not very mobile.

Afterwards, we went outside to wander in Golden Gate Park and enjoy the lovely weather and botanicals.

We also attended The Great Handcar Regatta, another activity I would certainly recommend. We watches the handcar races, enjoys the outdoor musc, and perused the vendors and shops along the way.

August It Will Be So Hot

The nerdy doll fun continued in August! Since I made Blue Beetle in the previous month, of course Booster Gold wasn't far behind.

I also made a cuddly little Deathstroke.

I took a comic plush break to make some cuddly little bats, which are one of my favorite animals. (I am dating Batman after all.)

My sewing wasn't limited to plush. I made several flowy summer skirts from thrifted curtains and sheets.

Fabric wasn't the only thing I found at the thrift store. I also got these adorable little cups.

And all this accomplished despite our harrowing caterpillar invasion and subsequent rescue mission.

And, obviously, more peacock dress.

Poke Things with Needles!

All this planning for the Crown Town Handmade Make Out at the end of the month has me reminiscing about previous embroidery projects. Let's take a look, shall we?

My little buddy Skeletor here is my most recent project. I have several sets of cloth napkins on clearance, I think at least one set is getting He-Manned.

Little embroidered squirrely pins always brighten my day.

Mitch O'Connell tattoo flash turned embroidery.

Then there's my eternal favorite, the Meme Quilt, internet memes meet embroidery. I could say something deep about the juxtaposition of technology and traditional hand crafts, but who am I kidding? I just wanted to make an adorable embroidered TubGirl. I am easily amused and obviously on the internet way too much.

July In The Cool and Fishy Deep

After Heroes Con I'm usually busy, busy, busy with awesomely nerdy doll commissions. This year was no exception. I made a little Red Skull.

I also made Death of Sandman fame. I had entirely too much fun making her hair.

I also made and sent the second set of dolls, including  Blue Beetle and Squirrel Girl, for Southern Fried Comics in preperation for their grand opening.

 

I even found a little time to make some dolls just for the hell of it, including some cuddly little Ganeshes.

In between bouts of doll making, I found time to dress in my favorited thrifted finds and handmade acessories.