Summer Sun

Summer sun certainly has a way of lifting the spirit, can't believe how lucky we have been with the weather this year, I have the best tan I have had for at least 9 years :)

My office is to close next year and we are all to be made redundant, after working at this office all of my life I am unsure how I feel, part of me is very frightened of the unknown, but in the main I am excited by the prospect of doing something new.  I just have no idea what I will do!

My dear Friend Jan had her 50th Birthday I have know her since I was 18 so it seems very strange to think of ourselves as middle aged!!

Lauren has her degree, so proud of her, and waiting for Georgie's results.  Then on 17th Sept they both fly off for 5 months, I will miss them terribly, but so excited for them!

February the worst and best

Continuing in the same vein, what has been good this month, well I did manage to get the January quilt blocks done, and I bought some fabric to continue with the February.

My weight has been up and down, but the overall is a about the same.

we had the loft insulated and the cavities filled for free! 

We took a lovely walk around Meldon, it was a bit foggy, but felt good to be out.

However on the 28th January mum was taken into hospital, sadly the decision was made to stop her dialysis, and she passed away peacefully on the 9th February early in the morning.  It was an end that I feel you would want for yourself, and we had a few precious days together where she was in and out of coherence. The funeral was on the 22nd February.  She was 70, no great age.  Strange how life still carries on, work needs to be attended, school and college still need attention shopping done etc.  Feel very surreal at the moment.  I have deliberately kept myself very very busy, ensuring I have little time to think, but now I crave some peace and alone time.

Despite all this I still feel that this is going to be a good year,  and I am looking forward desperately for warmer times 

2013 is going to be a Great Year!!

I don't know why or how, just a good feeling that I have, and that I want to try to keep.  I am sure that the more positive I am the happier I will be, enjoy the small things, rather than being frustrated at the lack of big.  So that is to be my main aim for this year, and I will use this blog to track my progress.

For example we have already won £20 on the lottery this year, how lucky is that!!

what are my other aims

• continue with the weight loss, I think that if I lose another 11lb I will be happy with my weight, and at that point will consider what I would like to do, sick or carry on.

I have returned to class, and plan to have put my christmas gain behind me by the end of January.

• I have signed up to 2 new quilting monthly sessions, so I would like to try to keep in top of those.  I was so pleased with what I made last year, and did find the process quite relaxing

I have cleaned my sewing machine, and am waiting for a good time to take my son to the quilt shop so that he can choose what fabric he would like his quilt made from, and he is very excited to do that!

• Spend more time with my friends, I seem to be in a pattern of work and sleep, with no time to spend with my friends, and only communicating via social media.

So I arranged to meet my friend at Jon Lewis after work, we sprayed perfume and looked at kitchen and home wears, next time we may even try on a dress or 2 that we have no intention of buying, in my mission to teach myself to shop for what suits me rather than what I think is a bargain!!

• have a better relationship with money, focusing on what I do have rather than what I don't, its so easy to feel that you can't do or afford rather than thinking about what you do have and can afford.  Also being a little more creative about how things are done being more organised, so that I plan rather than rushing out and buying something that really is not right, but will do due to lack of time.

For example my washing machine is broken, actually we don't need one right now, we both have parents who we visit, and are happy for us to use their machines whilst we are there, and this will allow us time to save rather than buying one with credit.  and actually it means I am spending a bit more time with my mum, who we never expected to be with us :)

I am not committing to the frequency of the blog, but will attempt to blog more often, and am hoping that what I put on here to read, will inspire me to keep going, and that it is working!

I missed the end of October and I don't know what happened to the begining of November!!

So how have I done, well didn't lose the 8lb, but managed 6, so that's not bad! I am in the midst of sewing and sashing Lauren's quilt, and will start on Georgie's soon.  I have a day off work on the 28th and I will be spending it with my friend Julia and our sewing machines!

Here it is just laid out to see where the blocks should go.

What else have we done.. I took Logan to the Harry Potter studio tour, and spend to some time with my friend Sue, we had a blast! and I have promised her that I will scrap some of these photos!

Paul and I did our first craft fair, and whilst we did not sell loads we did cover our costs and bit more.  We are planning to do another on the 9th December.

I also had my hair cut short, well short for me!  I cant smile and take a photo at the same time :)

I didn't get any cards done, and am not sure if I will, but I do plan to finish a scarf that I started to knit back this time last year, in time for Christmas!!

well how did I do this month.....not bad, weight loss has slowed but as I have now lost 25lb I guess that is to be expected!  I went shopping for the first time since I started to lose weight and found that I fit into a size 14 jeans which was a huge surprise!!  I have managed ok with the organisation, but I keep forgetting to take photos before :)  but here are the few that I did remember!

And after :)

And before

 And after

I have to say there was a lot of out of date and un needed stuff  which I guess was part of the reason for getting it done :)

So the kitchen is done and the pantry the conservatory has been cleared and the loft has a third less crammed into it.

I have almost caught up with my quilting, there are a couple of squares missing but this gives you an idea of what it will  be like come christmas.

So what am I planning for the next month, I am going to set a target of losing a further 8lb by the end of October, carry on with the quilting and keep on track with the organising.  I also want to start with this planner to see if christmas can be cheaper and calmer this year as I don't think that the Girls will be in the country next year I want this one to be fun.

a couple of blocks more to follow!

I do find it quite amazing that I so much time has passed since I last posted but it has and there have been a few changes around here, but perhaps not as many as I would like, so I am going to use my blog as a diary to help me manage the changes and challenges between now and Christmas.

I really do need to find a way of managing my work life balance, because for the last few years I really have not had a good one, I really should as my job should not be as all encompassing as it is, I know it is a cliche, but I am really not paid enough to carry the amount of stress that I do.

I also want to declutter my house, we simply have too much stuff that means that I struggle to find things and periodically hate my home as it is mainly open plan, so I am going to join this group in September which I am really looking forward to.

I am almost up to date with my quilt, I hope to finish my July block today and maybe even watch the August tutorial, everything crossed!

I want to show the crafting that I have focused on so when I have done the above i will lay all the blocks out and post a picture to remind me.

I have made cup cakes for a wedding and done a cup cake to kids course which I really enjoyed, along with my beginners embroidery course, which was a good day up at Princetown, back in April.

So challenges for August,

 keep loosing weight, really pleased with what I have done, but need to keep going.

Finish blocks up to August

Get clothes that no longer fit on Ebay

Start to get rid of stuff that I no longer need or want.

start to prepare for the new term at school so that Logan has everything he needs without the mad rush on the last day.

Do at least one type of challenge, probably a jingles bells that always makes me feel a bit better.