Resolutions Update!

Sorry I've been MIA lately, I thought I was getting back on track, and then I had 3 things happen than needed my attention NOW. My car, my living situation, and this darn baby. Fortunately, they are all mostly taken care of now (registering my car tomorrow, moving in 2 weeks, baby in 4 weeks more or less), so I  should have a brief surge of productivity before I explode and then I will be off the face of the earth for a while.

In  light of all the short term goals I've been neededing to acomplish I wanted to see how I was doing on my long term list. Here is the infamous (to me at least) list, and what I've done to achieve said goals so far, if at all:

• Knit a sweater Done...?

So, technically speaking I did finish my sweater. However, I decided to yank out the button band because I was unconvinced blocking would solve the scrunchiness of it, and also I forgot I was going to add a few more inches of ribbing at the bottom after the sleeves. Oops! So I've added those inches, and like most of my projects, when I hit some sort of bump in progress and I have other projects to do, I've ignored it. So I have my sweater, ready to be re-banded. We'll see if I am able to get to it before the baby arrives, but I make no promises as Christmas is around the corner and I will not be purchasing presents this year.

• Get this blog consistent traffic

I'm willing to settle on posting regularly to this blog at this point. I swear, I can't do one thing at a time in my life, I have to do it all at once!

• Sell 6 projects on Esty or elsewhere  DONE!

I've closed the shop for now... and I'm not sure when it will be back. Or what it will look like. I was never all that happy with what I decided to do, I felt as though it didn't really represent me as a maker, while at the same time I felt it was very representative of me. So when it does make a return, it will (hopefully) make me as happy as I hope the people who bough my wares were.

• Learn to cross stitch DONE!!

Yup, and even have done some free styling! Whoo!

• Buy a car Done...?

So like my sweater, technically I have achieved this goal. We needed a new car because mine was not going to pass smog. Turns out there was a recall awhile back having to do with emissions and now that I got all that squared away my car passed beautifully! So no need to get into a new car payment, yay! And my hubby is trading his car out for my uncles, which is in better shape, so that counts too right? Right.

• Help patrons in Spanish

Back at a facility with little to no Spanish being needed, sad times panda bear. I'll get it some day.

• Schedule my time effectively & Get back in "working order" 

Hey, if I managed to get the dishes laundry half way done I'm happy at this point, and unless my cat and dog grow thumbs and start helping around that house it's probably going to stay that way for a while

So there you have it! I find tangible goals (making something) are much more achievable than intangible (being more productive) goals. So I either need to reevaluate my goal making strategies or figure out how to my the untouchable touchable! All in all I am happy with my progress, it has been and will continue to be a challenging year, right up until the end!

How has your year treated you? Are you please with your progress or do you not even remember what goals you had in mind to begin with?

New Years Resolutions- May update!

Updates!
 (PST! Don't forget I would love to hear from you about your own goals (resolution or not) and your progress as well, so that we can help each other stick to it!)
So here it is, my list of things I want to accomplish this year and how I am going about it. Here is how I'm doing so far:

• Knit a sweater

I'm into the shaping portion of my sweater, and while I've had a difficult time lately knitting it (or knitting in general for that matter) I am having a great time knitting it! I really like the way it is coming out. I cannot wait to wear it!

• Get this blog consistent traffic

Last post I told you that I opened a Facebook page, twitter account, flickr specific to my blog and informed you of my personal Pinterest and Instagram accounts. And since then I have decided that it was too much to fast, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't even like twitter. :/ So I am stepping back, and while Pinterest and Instagram will be updated still (since they are personal not necessarily related to the blog or shop)

• Sell 6 projects on Esty or elsewhere  DONE!

I did it! But to be fair, looking back, that wasn't much of a goal. I haven't yet decided what to replace this goal with, seeing as I don't have a great grasp of what is a realistic yet challenging goal to reach for, I will need some time to think about it.

• Learn to cross stitch

A friend of mine who cross stitches has plans to drag me into a stitch-a-long with her, so whenever that happens (I think it's in June) I will begin to conquer this resolution!

• Buy a car

We aren't really any closer, however we are slowly but surely saving money for it. Our goal is to try by September or October to apply for a loan. Fingers crossed!

• Help patrons in Spanish

Since the last update I am sad to say that my time on Rosetta has dwindled significantly. Work and life has been getting in the way, so hopefully once all these trainings and moving and such has occurred I will be able to get back to it!

• Schedule my time effectively 

Put on hold for the time being.

• Get back in "working order"

Put on hold for the time being.

So that's how I did last month, not super impressive, but I'm sticking to my big one, mostly. How have you done?

New Years Resolutions- April Update

Updates!
Here is how I'm doing so far:  (PST! Don't forget I would love to hear from you about your own goals (resolution or not) and your progress as well, so that we can help each other stick to it!) So here it is, my list of things I want to accomplish this year and how I am going about it:

• Knit a sweater

I bought this pattern, bought my yarn (I chose Lilac) 

 

I am almost done with the top shaping! (I know it's not the best photo, but I was halfway through a row when I had to run out the door this morning!)

 

I am so happy with how it's turning out so far! I like the yarn a lot, so soft and it glides on my needled effortlessly! 

 

You may see more sweaters in the future if this is how the whole thing goes, but we will see where I am in a month!

 

I am almost onto the 3rd of 11 skeins of yarn. Never have I ever used so many in one project!

• Get this blog consistent traffic

This is a work in progress. As you know I opened the Facebook page. I've also set up accounts on twitter and flickr,  and I plan on using my personal accounts for Pinterest and Instagram too.I am having a bit of trouble remembering to use some of those places for more than browsing and personal use... but at least I got them started. I'm starting to believe I'm trying to do too much too fast, so I might actually hold off on trying to push those other venues and focus on this here blog and shop. I mean, I haven't even added links over on the side bar yet!

• Sell 6 projects on Esty or elsewhere 

Adding to the 1 sale in January, I have another Shark Towel in the works and I made my first ever Etsy sale last month! Totally stoked! I need to update that store with more stuff, but I've been working on birthdays and such... it's a busy time of year for me! At least I'm killing 2 birds with one stone, some of the presents I'm making are prototypes for items I will eventually sell in my shop!

• Learn to cross stitch

Still working on it. I am no closer than last time.

• Buy a car

We had an interesting turn of events in this vein... and they happened this morning! Turns out my parents might be buy a new car too, making John and I the beneficiaries of their used vehicle. SCORE! We need to hash out the details, but lets just say my parents take good care of their vehicles and do not want any of them out of the family anytime soon...

• Help patrons in Spanish

I've now been using Rosetta Stone for a few weeks and I love it so far! Yes it's expensive, but my mom want halvsies with me (It's a goal for her as well) so it wasn't as bad. And I got it on sale. :) I am having a hard time remember to sign on and do the lessons, but the few i have are helping immensely. Bilinguality, here I come!

• Schedule my time effectively

 Being your own boss? Way harder than it sounds. I'm used to have a defined job description or a supervisor that it is a continuing struggle to keep myself on task and motivated. And I do not supervise myself well. Work in progress.

• Get back in working order

This is in line with scheduling my time effectively, I am not good at being my own boss. Due to some personal stuff I've gone easy on this section, but I feel I am doing better. My goal for this next month is to make sure all dishes are done on time, and when I do laundry it gets put away immediately and not sit in the hamper getting covered in kitty fur. (Someone thinks it's his hammock.)

• Start saving for a home

Another one that has had some interested changes. While we are still not currently looking at homes to buy my dad has agreed to look into some first time home buyer incentives and see if we are a good match for any of them. So who knows? Maybe we will get a house this year, anything can happen!

There is the laundry list of goals for myself... I am actually quite happy with the progress! What do you think? How are your goals coming?

The Adventure Thus Far

So since this blog is supposed to be about my adventure into the murky waters of selling my makings, I thought it was high time to tell you what I've done so far. I mean, I'm sure looking at all my projects that I post to Etsy are nice and all, but I want to put a little depth in here for posterity. :)

So far I have opened an Etsy shop, put some projects in there, set up multiple social media accounts (even though I don't know what I'm doing in that arena, at all!) and created a notebook full of ideas, some of which have 'prototypes' most of which don't. I need to link up most of my  social media to this blog still, but I am in a learning curve.

My next steps I plan to take are to load my shop with things that I actually feel represent me as a crafter (as cute as my geekery is, I know why it's going nowhere. I know, my shops only been open a month! But I'm smarter than that, so I plan on pushing some things that I think people will actually pay for.) What will those products be you ask? Well, I'm not 100% there. I have some patterns in the works, some sewing projects I'm fine tuning. This is also a birthday spectacular month for me, so this next week will be devoted to getting presents out of the way. So hopefully, by the end of the month I plan to have at least 1-2 new things in my shop. I hope it takes me somewhere!

New Years Resolutions

Yes I know it's a while since we all made (or didn't make) our resolutions for the New Year. But I want to start a little feature here where I update you as to my progress on all the resolutions I make (which don't necessarily coincide with the new year.) Every month or so I will update you to my progress and thus hopefully make me accountable! I would love to hear from you about your own goals (resolution or not) and your progress as well, so that we can help each other stick to it! So here it is, my list of things I want to accomplish this year and how I am planning to do it:

• Knit a sweater

I do indeed plan on knitting my first ever sweater! I've put it off for years, but I am determined that this is the one in which it will happen! I have already chosen & bought the pattern I will use and am currently decided what colorway I will use in what type of yarn! Feel free to share your thoughts, I am super excited to get going and plan to purchase the yarn and any extras I need after my birthday! (next monday :)

• Get this blog consistent traffic

Easier said than done, yes? I haven't quite figured out how, so my current step for this one is to scheme and map out my plan of attack!

• Sell 6 projects on Esty or elsewhere 

Last year I sold 3 projects I made! All to friends and co-workers, but sales they were! I've already made 1 sale this year, so doubling last years business doesn't sound too farfetched, in fact I may be underachieving this goal. We'll see, and I'll adjust as needed. :)

• Learn to cross stitch

Simple, right? It is also something I've wanted to do for years, and I plan to wait no more! I have a few patterns in mind... But I keep looking at them and thinking embroidery! Time to shift some paradigms I suppose.

• Buy a car

This is a must have. Both my hubs and I have to upgrade before smog again. We currently have a savings plan I concocted using Suze Ormans book: The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke! ( I LOVED it by the way)

• Help patrons in Spanish

Already bought Rosetta Stone, all I have to do now is load it on my lappy and follow instructions! ( also on hold until post-birthday)

• Schedule my time effectively

As must as I read how to do it right, it still eludes me. I feel this is something that I will be working on well past the next New Year.

• Get back in working order

This is in line with scheduling my time effectively. I am not good at being my own boss. But I still remember my college days when I seemed to have my week planned before me with not a moment unfilled. I am working on getting back to that, since living with so many different people have thrown me WAY off course in those terms, if I just lived alone all my problems would be solved. Alas, that is not for me (being married and all, it might be weird if I lived by my self)

• Start saving for a home

Lastly, and unfortunately kind of leastly. Although we do want to own our own home, we have other monetary goals we want to meet first, and we're kind of picky about where we want to live. So that means this is a long, long term goal (several years) but we want to start saving now so that we are ready for it.

Quite a list yes? I think there are 9 resolutions in total. Those near the top are ones I want to do badly or think I can do realistically. Whew. So there you have it, I'll let know you my progress in a month or so. What about you?