Things are changing and February Reckoning

Things are changing round here wth my increase in days at work to 4 a week.  I have been at it for two weeks and I am really feeling the shift.  I think maybe three days a week was where I should stay but we will see how we go for the next couple of months.

This has meant that I have had got very little done in February and so I am going to re-evaluate my goals for 2011.

February


BIL1 & Dad - B'day and Christmas gifts - Not Done

Sampler BOM - Block-a-palooza at least two blocks - Not Done

MMQG Block February - Done

MMQG August Sample Block No2 - Done

Fandango Quilt - Piece at least 5 more blocks - Done 3 (I think)

Bind J&T Wedding quilt this one depends on when it comes back from the quilter. - In progress

Bind Jots Doll Quilt - Done

Finish last leftover item from 2010 - Not Done

And there have been no additional things made this month.  I am exhausted a lot at the moment with the 4th day at work and juggling Jot on the train each morning.  So although I am having a number of no technology evenings each week I am usually curled up in bed approaching sleep and I am feeling completely behind in my goals.  So here I am after two months revising my first two goals of 2011.

Goal 1 - Family

I am amending this one by cutting out all the handmade gifts for the men in my life.  This cuts the list down by 6 people.  I was struggling to find the research time for gifts for men (they are so much harder than for women)  So in 2011 we will be buying for the men but I plan to reinstate the boys for 2012. 

New list:

Jan - SIL (Mar)
Feb -
Mar - Big Sis (July)
Apr - Neice (July)
May - MIL (Sept)
June - Mum (Sept)
July - Jot (Sept)
Aug - Lil Sis (Nov)
Sept - Nephew 1 (Nov)
Oct - Nephew 2 (Jan)
Nov & Dec - Xmas stocking fillers and Kris Kringle as well as CC gifts etc.

This makes life much more managable.

I am also going to revise Goal 2 - Me which was to piece, sash and bind a sampler quilt.  I really wanted to get onto this one but as I am completing one block a month for the MMQG Oh Beehave Quilting Bee I am getting to try new blocks as we go.  I am therefore retracting this goal but replacing it with the following:

To complete at least 5 quilts in 2011 (to gift in 2011)

I have a list of 8 quilts I will be attempting in 2011 and I am now determined to complete (and gift) at least 5 of them.

My general life goals we are better on track for.  I do need to do the Feb actuals and the March budget but on whole we are tracking well for this.  Growing our own food is also moving along happily, we are over run with Zucchini and the Pumpkins have started already so I am now on a search for pumpkin recipes.  Finally my no technology time, these are actually being helped by my extra day at work I just wish I had the energy and mental capacity to sew during them rather than sleep but I am sure this will come as I get used to the new routine.

TV Unit Face lift

Some time ago (about September last year) we decided that it was silly not to use the 'good' sitting room on a daily basis - I mean what was I thinking if you have a room use it!  When M&D were over from the UK we put them to work with a paint brush and roped them is an furniture movers.  We had everything how we wanted it with one exception.  The only TV aerial is in a corner - usually not a problem but due to the position of the doors and windows a long TV unit (like we have) is not going to work.  We have been on the look out for a corner unit ever since.

Just after Christmas we came across one in our local Salvation Army shop for $50, rescued it and brought it home.  It really didn't go with our nice white furniture so it needed a face lift.

Before:

Its not totally before as we had already taken the doors off for painting but this was as soon as I remembered to take a photo.

A few coats of paint later - no matter what it says on the time one coat is never enough over dark wood - it looks like this and sit nicely in our sitting room.

 

I love it but Jot is not impressed.  She has the whole cupboard to put her stuff into but hates the fact she can't reach the DVD player to change whatever it is we are watching in the middle of a crucial part.

I hope you all had a good weekend and I will be back later in the week with some sewing (I hope).  Have a good week.

JotsMum