Impromptu 7 month hiatus?

Well that's a lot of strange looking words! ^^

So, I guess over the past seven months I forgot I had a blog. Or something like that anyway. It feels weird to be back writing here now, but, when I started this blog, I wanted it to motivate me to do better things and I think I owe it to the me back then to try again with this thing. Gawd this is making me feel emotional!

So... how've you been? So much has changed since I last wrote here. I was demoted at work and it broke my heart. I have never felt so inadequate and betrayed in my whole life. At the time I compared it to a break-up and I still feel that way. I can't really think about it without getting upset. I definitely hit bottom around that time and I still grieve for the job I loved. The position they gave me afterward is a similar job but with less autonomy, more monotony. I'm still adjusting.

Fortunately that and a bout of glandular fever are the only negatives to report. On the much, much brigher side, Our Boy-O's wonderful mummy has lent us the deposit for a house of our very own. It makes me smile just to type those words. We're getting our own house. I still can't believe it. We get the keys next week so the run up to Christmas is going to be a mad mixture of decorating and celebrating. I can't wait!

So, I'll be back soon with a better update, I need bed and Boy time.

PS: I really need to update that

De-cluttering my dreams.

Number 9 on my list is Tidy and organise my home from top to bottom. I think I put that on there at the time of writing because, well, my house is a tip. It has been for as long as I can remember. The Boy and I just have too much stuff and too little time to maintain a clean and tidy house. Not to mention too many animals. Despite knowing this, I still harbour a little hope that if I could just tidy everything up, throw away all the junk and get on top of things, we'd be able to achieve the kind of lived in, yet tidy house I've always wanted. I decided to spend my two days off work gutting the spare room (read dumping ground) because I've secretly wanted to turn it into a Craft Room for some time now. So I took out everything except the big furniture and cleaned, dusted and vacuumed it all. And then, lets say it became an experience.

Now, I should probably explain that I'm a hoarder as well as a dreamer. Putting the two together leads to a lot of physical and emotional clutter. After I'd put all the essentials back into the spare room I was left with a mish-mash of stuff that seemed like remnants of dreams and ambitions that never came true. A guitar that I bought 6 years ago and never learnt to play. Travel guides for places I've never visited. A strategy guide for The Elder Scrolls IV, the very first game I bought for my Xbox 360 3 years ago and I never finished. That's when I started to feel overwhelmed. I wanted so badly to make a fresh start, yet felt like I was betraying the me who dreamed of playing the guitar, travelling the world and being an awesome gamer. I remember who I was when I had those dreams. So, it seems, I've hit a wall. On the one hand I have a brand spanky new craft room with all my inspirational books and magazines stacked on the shelves. On the other hand I think its about to be invaded by all the junk I just can't bring myself to say goodbye to. Hopefully I'll be brave enough to get rid of it before I start to feel too guilty about all things I've never achieved.

To be continued...

You can find my complete 101 in 1,001 here. If you are working through your own list please share in the comments so I can follow along!

I made a start!

After the stress of compiling my 101 in 1,001 I took a break for a couple of days and came back to it. Oh my goodness, what was I thinking!? Win an award for wildlife photography?? I've never taken a wildlife photograph in my life! I've also charged myself with setting a strict budget so we can save a house deposit and at the same time I'm supposed to replace all my clothes and food supplies. Needless to say it's not a very well thought out list but oh well, the heart wants what it wants.

Anyways, I just thought I'd jump on and show you my first contribution towards 85. Take 1,000 photographs that make me smile.

This was an obvious starting point. A photo of the cutest doogie in the world, lying in her pink fluffy bed, next to the warm radiator with her favourite monkey. What's not to smile at? Haha!

101 in 1,001

Hello, how do?

This week I've decided to hop on the very old bandwagon that is "The Day Zero Project". I heart lists. I heart daydreaming. It's perfect for me. Saying that, the list has taken me forever to complete and I can't stand the sight of it now! Haha. I've skipped dinner and I'm late for my bath so I'm just going to dump it on here and come back to it tomorrow because I'm getting cranky!

BTW, I figured out the end date using some really convoluted math that made sense in my head but might be completely wrong!

The Day Zero Project aka “101 in 1001”.

Start date: 03/02/11, End date: 01/11/2013

In progress
Completed

Lifestyle

1. Take Froo-barr for a walk everyday for a month (0/28)
2. Complete all of FLYLADY’s Baby Steps (0/30)
3. Get up before 6am every day for a month (0/28)
4. Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables everyday for three weeks (0/21)
5. Quit smoking
6. Plan and prepare for mine and The Boy’s Wedding
7. Read a new book every week for 3 months (0/12)
8. Take a bath before bed every night for a fortnight (0/14)
9. Tidy and organise my home from top to bottom
10. Write a personal mission statement
11. Clean out my kitchen cupboards, throw old food away and invest in good quality ingredients
12. Learn about good hair maintenance and invest in good quality hair products
13. Create four different make-up looks for myself and invest in good quality cosmetics
14. Find my signature scent
15. Research better ways to take care of my skin and implement them
16. Go on a sun, sea, sand holiday
17. Rebuild my support network

Knowledge

18. Learn the names and positions of all human bones
19. Visit and learn the language, history, culture and cuisine of a country
20. Read and study all of Shakespeare’s plays
21. Increase my First Aid knowledge and experience
22. Learn animal First Aid
23. Begin an art project inspired by Ancient Greek mythology
24. Read “Sophie’s World”
25. Learn the alphabet and basic conversation in Sign Language
26. Purchase and work through the International School of Sugarcraft books

Achievments

27. Win an award for wildlife photography
28. Demonstrate a perfect “tittibhasana” and all “sirsasana”
29. Get to the top of the climbing wall at Centre Parcs
30. Complete NaNoWriMo
31. Eat something that I’ve grown myself
32. Sell something that I’ve made myself
33. Learn to play “Fur elise” on the piano
34. Make myself an item of clothing that I love to wear
35. Get a promotion
36. Pay off mine and The Boy’s debts
37. Run the Race for Life
38. Re-build a car

Just For Fun

39. Cook a traditional US Thanksgiving feast
40. Be a hippie for the summer
41. Watch all the episodes of Charmed
42. Go to five places I’ve never visited before
43. Design and make my ideas for bedding
44. Knit one new project a month for a year (0/12)
45. Plan Christmas and celebrate it the way I’ve always wanted to
46. Take a dance class
47. Send something home-made to my parents and sister every month for a year (0/12)
48. Plant a vegetable garden
49. Go to a Farmer’s Market or Farm Shop for fresh produce
50. Start and finish two photography projects (0/2)
51. Delete absolutely everything off my iPod and start again
52. Grow a sunflower
53. Complete a hedge maze
54. Start writing my life journal
55. Make three of Jamie Oliver’s thirty minute meals (0/3)
56. Make all of the dolls from the “Creepy Cute Crochet” book
57. Create a scrapbook
58. Go on a social night with the First Aid charity I volunteer for
59. Re-upholster a chair
60. Complete three Xbox 360 games to 1000 gamer points (0/3)
61. Collect all current Pokemon (0/493)

Testing Myself

62. Go without the Internet for a week
63. Survive with minimal electricity usage for a day
64. Complete the “Three Peak Challenge”
65. Set a strict budget and save enough money for a house deposit and fees
66. Throw out all my clothes and accessories and start again
67. Set up a weight-loss blog/vlog, set realistic goals and achieve them
68. Set up a culinary blog/blogs and document my learning curves
69. Go on a day trip by myself
70. Stop watching TV for seven days (0/7)

Why not?

71. Dance until dawn
72. Go skinny dipping
73. Go skiing
74. Go camping
75. Gamble for the sake of it
76. Go horse riding again
77. Spend time with old friends seven times (0/7)
78. Spend time with my Dad’s side of the family
79. Have more contact with my Mum’s side of the family
80. Go ice-skating
81. Write a detailed zombie apocalypse plan
82. Get a tattoo
83. Get professional photos taken for mine and The Boy’s engagement
84. Grow my hair
85. Take 1,000 photographs that make me smile (1/1,000)
86. Have a spa day
87. Make another 101 in 1,001 list
88. Try geo-caching

Just because I’m sick of writing this list and need to think of thirteen more things to do quickly so I can just post it and get it over with!

89. Clean all the doors and windows of my house and then clean them again once every month for a year (0/12)
90. Stop being embarrassed about my blog and Twitter and post the links on Facebook so my friends can see them
91. Set up my own part-time business
92. Gain a qualification in a subject area I’m passionate about
93. Work on my flexibility until I can do the splits again
94. Move house
95. Celebrate New Year’s properly
96. Host a dinner party
97. Leave a note for somebody in a public bathroom
98. Practice origami
99. Craft something for Ryan
100. Play on a farm
101. Finish this bladdy list!!!!!

Did January really just pass me by?

Haha... wow this years going quickly already. So many exciting things have happened so far this year. The Boy and I got engaged, we visited London, my Dad retired and gifted me enough money to write off a significant amount of debt, I've been offered and accepted a more important job at work. 2011 seems to be off to a good start.

Saying that, I'd like to take next month more slowly, settle into my new job and take stock of all the changes happening around me. And of course, once February is over the hubbub of birthdays starts again and I'll be busier than ever with requests for hand-made gifts.

Here's a list of some of the things I'm looking forward to in February:

• The lifting of the post-Christmas blues. The emotional comedown after Chrimbo gets me every time and the end of January always finds me a little bit lost.
• Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Rabbit this year, same as the year I was born. Looking forward to a home-made Chinese feast!
• Closely followed by Valentine's Day. A romantic meal for me and The Boy and love-themed treats for family and friends.
• The weather getting a little warmer... maybe... please?
• Finally getting a handle on our finances. We made a budget last year, we've tried it for a month and in February we get to tweak it.

Honestly though, what I'm really getting excited for is the Wedding, with a capital W. It's going to be a long way off, but I've got loads of things to share over at http://slogwedding.blogspot.com/ in the coming weeks. My Boy proposed to me, I still can't believe it and I grin to myself about it all the time. Ahh I best get off before I get too gushy on you!

Engaged!

I know I haven't posted in nearly a month but instead of making excuses I'm just going to drop a bombshell here!

I'm ENGAGED!!!

I started a wedding blog at http://slogwedding.blogspot.com/ (I don't know why because I struggle to keep my original blog updated!)

That is all :)

Working in retail sucks at your soul...

It really does. I really try not to be negative on this blog but there's nothing like being shoved, elbowed and sworn at to dampen your holiday spirit. Ok, moan over! I had a WONDERFUL Christmas. I got so many lovely p.resents and I spent time with everybody I love, even if some of it was by webcam. I can't wait to get round to playing with all my new toys, haha!

I've been so bad at posting on this blog! I've been writing in my paper diary instead. I'm going to run off now and make a cup of tea and watch some more of the Ally McBeal boxset The Boy bought me for Chrimbo.

Ally McBeal makes me feel so nostalgic. I remember cuddling up with my Dad and sister to watch them when they were on TV first time round. :D