I hope everyone had a nice New Year weekend. I always remark to myself that months of work and planning for these end of year holidays pass so quickly! One of my habits during the last days of the year is to file away the prior years journals and prepare the new ones. I have several that have many pages left and those will stay in place. This is a doodle-journal. Sometimes that is enough. You know I have lots of pens, brushes, and papers to keep me busy. Friends often pick up little things for me to add to the books.
When I cruise the aisles in an artists supply shop I get the same feeling as I get in a quilt shop. Not quite as bad, but it's there. Many, many years ago I made a tote of sorts to carry my sketching supplies when I walked the woods or a park. I made it from a burlap type of fabric and adorned it with some red stitching. I still have it somewhere, I need to find that. I carried a sitter-down in there, that was a mat woven from newspaper. It kept your bottom dry if you are sitting on a wet rock or damp ground. I added straps to the tote that secured it to the handle-bars on my bicycle.
On these pages I was doodling around a fabric scrap. Originally I think I was keeping the fabric scrap to use when shopping for coordinating fabric.
So, back to the journal. I find I am much more productive if I keep a day journal. By ticking off a list of chores and projects I feel more accountable. My studio journal is a little different but the premise is the same. I am also keeping a "dream" list. The big inside maybe project for 2023 is this. In my kitchen I have an end wall that now has a small china closet in place. I should have installed the cabinet below to begin with because that is what I wanted. But noooo, timing was off. Now, mine will not be quite this big because I don't want it to dominate the space, but the Polish pottery collection has grown to the point where it needs a larger space. The point was driven home when someone nearly knocked Roxanne off her space! Roxanne cannot be replaced. She is called a roaster, but lets be clear, I am not cooking chickens in that little girl! 
Isn't she a beauty? Merry Christmas to me! She is a big girl, about 12 inches stem to stern and about 9 inches high. She needs a big roosting area, right now she sits in the center of the dining room table.
The base of the cabinet will be doors, not drawers. The color will not be this, most likely a light sage? I don't know, that has to be doodled a bit. The kitchen cabinets are SW ------No more of that.
- I think I will trek out to the IKEA store (about an hour away, depending on traffic) and scan the kitchens. I always get ideas there, much to the dismay of husband. I need to think on this.
- I will clear one room at a time of the holiday decor. As I clean in my normal routine, I remove the garlands, wreaths, Byer's Choice figures etc. By doing this one room at a time I find that I am not stressed. The living room tree and dining room decor will stay for one more week, until The Kings arrive. The rest of the house will be cleared by then and these two rooms are the big job.
- The Monday mend was a thrill! I picked up a few pair of cozy corduroy pants on sale, all too long, of course, hemming was required. During the 1980's I kept an alteration business on the side to pay school tuition. I Hate mending and alterations. I often wonder if my children understood what a tedious job that was for me. I need to ask my son. He was often playing on the floor when I worked.
Are you considering a new project for the New Year? You all know I admire Kathy Tracy for her skill, her generosity, and her inspiration. In a recent post she shared some beautiful quilt samples, and two new projects that will be included in a social media group. Interested? follow this link to read and be enthused for a New Year of stitching, LINK HERE!e enthused for the New Year of stitching, e enthused for the new year of stitching,
Comments
I had the pull outs installed in lower cabinets behind doors. Next time, nothing but drawers!
If I sat down during a walk there would need to be a low branched tree or huge rock to aid in getting back up.
Health reports state that they measure your "fitness" by how quickly you can get off the floor. At this point, I have to tell everyone that I am dead. Dead in the water so to speak!