Greeting the New Year with a KISS*

So Christmas is long gone - I hope you all had good ones? We enjoyed the festivities in our new home, and hosted for the first time too. It was a funny grown-up feeling making Christmas for our parents, but I think we pulled it off! It was also nice to do things our way; continue some traditions and start some new ones of our own. I managed to make some handmade finishing touches and presents myself, but I bought a fantastic handtied Rag Wreath from Upcycled Creatively, and I gave some gorgeous handmade (by someone else) presents too such as a bone china leaf from Sarah May Rogers for my mum.

Since becoming a parent Christmas has become a more magical time, but I know that it can be a period of stress, strain and sometimes sadness for others. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and the expectations to have a 'perfect' Christmas are high. And then there's new years eve, which can bring up a whole range of feelings in some. So I hope everyone made it through ok.

But I think New Years Day is a wonderful day, full of optimism, hope and ambition.

"It's a new day, it's a new dawn, it's a new life...and I'm feeling good!"

Last year I made some very clear goals for 2012, and as they were posted for all to see I'd better go back and see how well I did, before setting some more!

1.) I did run the London Marathon in April 2012, and raised over £4,000 for ARC. It was an amazing feeling to achieve something that only 1% of the population have. NB: I have a confession to make, despite all my good intentions to continue running afterwards, I have only run 4 times since. Gasp!!! I have realised I am better with a real goal to aim for, so I have signed up for the Bath Half in March 2013. I'd better get my trainers out again! 

2.) I think that I did make real progress with This is Wiss in 2012 despite taking a break over the summer: I found some great new markets and reached a wider audience, I was featured in Mollie Makes, I launched my online shop and even managed to get a Christmas etsy shop open. I feel really positive for this coming year, and as soon as I've done my tax return (eek) I can't wait to get going again.

3.) I said that I wanted to learn new skills in 2012 and that I did! I went foraging, I learnt how to quilt (but not learnt how to finish a quilt yet!) and I attended a few talks at The School of Life. I really enjoyed taking these sorts of social, informal 'lessons' and will definitely be doing more in the new year.

4.) I have blogged more this year but there's still lots of room for improvement. I've slipped up recently on my Silent Sunday photos, and while I've been having lots of ideas for future posts I've not had the time to do them justice so they remain in my head (for now). I really enjoyed the week-long events I held with guest bloggers for World Book Week, and the Jubilee and I plan to hold more in the coming year.

If you like to keep a work calendar or make plans on paper then have a look at this fantastic diary and blog planner from Stacie Swift. She's made a PDF so we can all be as organised and stylish as she is. I have a serious stationary fetish and that ringbinder with dividers is ticking all my boxes!



As for the rest of my goals, I'm not sure that I can claim I've met them. I have made clothes for Wiss this year but mainly costumes (this, this or this) although I've made more for the other little people we know! I'm afraid I didn't find time for Project Linus, my photo album remains empty, I found myself listening to Heart Radio (the horror!) so not sure that counts as music, and as for my cross stitch...well! I have done more than this but I think this sums it up for me. Why???

So, what am I hoping to achieve in 2013? More of the same really: more running, more sewing, more selling etc etc. But rather than make another comprehensive list I have been taken with an idea that seems to be popular with my Twitter timeline: One Little Word One word to focus on and reflect upon as you go about your daily life. Some have chosen, 'Focus', 'Play', 'Open' but typically I couldn't distill my aims down to just one word! Like Lucy from Lulastic & The Hippy Shake I think a motto may be a better way to go. I can't think of a better way to sum up my aims for the coming year than this (taken from the ethos of Merchant & Mills):

I want to try to apply this to many aspects of my life: my work, my designs, my business, but even my (our) parenting style, and my social life! I always try to do too much and overfill my time, and while I don't think that will ever change I do feel I could benefit from prioritising certain things, letting go of others and just slowing down to enjoy the ride.

* KISS is apparently the acronym for Keep It Simple, Stupid! or as I prefer Keep It Super Simple.

Have any of you made resolutions or chosen a word/motto for the new year? I'd love to hear about what you are aiming for in 2013, so leave me a comment or link to your blog and we can encourage each other. Thanks for reading!