30 before 31

About a month ago I turned 30 (yikes!).  I had a little freak-out at the time, but I'm feeling okay about it now... mostly.  As is my yearly tradition, I have made myself a new list of goals to accomplish before my next birthday.  See my past ones here, here and here.

As is also tradition, I'm sharing it here with you in the hope it'll give me some extra incentive.  I've not fully completed a list yet, but here goes...

1. Create a routine - in the hope of getting a few simple things done.
2. Find 'the dress' - no, I still haven't found my wedding dress.  Time is ticking...
3. Enjoy the gym - I joined in December and really need to work on my fitness.
4. De-clutter - kind of standard, but necessary nonetheless.
5. Keep in touch - I am the worst at this.
6. vintage shopping - I love this and want to do more.
7. Make cake - I got loads of cake maing stuff for Xmas and want to crack it out.
8. Go to the llama farm - a personal ambition of mine since discovering there is one near Sheffield.
9. Clean eating - less processed foods = healthier lifestyle.
10. Read before bed - to get me back into reading regularly.
11. Worry less - harder than it seems.
12. Practice ukelele - I taught myself as a previous birthday goal... now I need to practice.
13. Make paper/fabric flowers - possible wedding project.
14. Cut down on meat - for mine and the planet's benefit.
15. Home videos - my new camera has video (!)
16. Craft my wedding - saves money, adds personality and is fun!
17. Rotate my wardrobe - I always end up wearing the same things.  I plan to change this.
18. Betty portraits - well, she is gorgeous.
19. Eat local produce - another effort to help the planet (and local economy).
20. Purge my craft supplies - I have too much stuff!
21. Weaving - I bought a lap-loom ages ago and haven't used it yet.
22. Spa Sundays - taking the time each week to pamper myself.
23. Less personal shopping - in an effort to save money and cleanse my wardrobe.
24. Stop my bad habit - since I was a litte girl I have chewed the skin in my mouth.  I really, really want to stop.
25. Find a new home - our flat is lovely, but mouldy.
26. Get back into yoga - a past hobby I would like to revisit
27. Use less heat on my hair - I'm trying to grow it.
28. Refocus logii - something I have neglected recently :(
29. Experiment with tofu - there are so many possibilities
30. More craft fairs - one down, more to go.

So there you have it.  I'll try and update as often as I can with my progress.  Do you do anything similar?  I love making lists!

Stay Hydrated

Number 3 on my birthday list was to stay hydrated.  To help me stay focused on this task I had a look for an app and ended up downloading i-Drated.  I think this is a really fun app and has definitely helped me to up my water intake (when I remember to use it).  It sends me reminders when I'm due another drink and has an easy to use visual interface.  If you're wanting to set yourself a challenge to drink more water, I'd definitely recommend this app.

P.s. This is not a sponsored post.

29 Before 30

So every year for the last few years I've made myself a list of things to accomplish before my next birthday (see here and here).  It's nearly a month since my birthday, so I thought I best get round to posting this year's list - oops.

1. Improve my social networking - something I really need to work on.
2. Use up most of my yarn - I have way too much and need to stop buying!
3. Stay hydrated - I don't drink enough water and want to change this.
4. Paint my nails - again, I have so much nail varnish, and hardly use it.
5. Learn to do the splits - I want to improve my flexibility.
6. Make an 8mm - gonna try and have fun with my i-phone app.
7. See live music - because it's awesome.
8. Go for long walks - one of the advantages of living near the Peak District are the amazing walks on your doorstep.
9. Book a wedding venue - top priority!
10. Modular origami - I want to step it up a gear.
11. Experiment with bleach - in a crafty sense.
12. Get a dentist - this needs to happen.
13. Send snail mail - I always love receiving it, and sending it can be so much fun too.
14. Make fabric labels for logii - to give my crocheted creations more of an identity.
15. Finish a paint by numbers - I have a few of these that are sadly unfinished.
16. Save save save!! - this will be another big priority this year.
17. Take better care of my skin - I want to get into a routine.
18. Use my camera apps - a goal I set for myself before Xmas that I want to continue.
19. Make a souffle - always wanted to have a go at one of these.
20. Swim - it just so good for you.
21. Support local/independent businesses - I'm a big believer in small business.
22. Enjoy the simple things - getting back to basics.
23. Make some art - I want to explore my creative side (hmmm).
24. Wear lipstick - like the nail varnish thing, I have loads but never wear it.
25. Flower pressing - something new to try.
26. Build a terranium - because they're pretty.
27. Aromatherapy - something I'm starting to get into, thanks to my Auntie.
28. Bake more - why not?
29. Meditate - the small amounts I've tried have really benefited me.  Time to try it properly.

So another year, another list.  I'll try my best to keep you updated here on my progress.  These lists have really made a difference to my life.  I'm sure there are so many things I wouldn't have bothered trying if they weren't there written down and taped to my cupboard.  I recommend giving it a go!
If you've a list of your own, please share it in the comments - I'd love to see what your annual goals are.

4 Simple Goals

If you've been following me for a while you'll know that I love to make lists.  I'm a firm believer that if you write something down you're more likely to get it done and making goals is important for me to give me focus on the things I want to accomplish.  I'm not so great however at setting a deadline (with the exception of my Birthday list), so when I saw that Elsie from 'A Beautiful Mess' was repeating her 4 simple goals challenge I thought "why not?" and decided to play along.  The rules are:


1. Choose simple goals that will make your life richer and happier on a daily basis. Choose things you may not otherwise get done, but that are not difficult to accomplish.

2. Do not choose result oriented goals, choose activity oriented goals. for example.... instead of "lose 10 pounds", choose something like "eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day". Get what I'm saying? Positive actions instead of just the end result!

3. Choose goals that are personal that you believe will truly make your life richer just by doing them! They can be daily, weekly or one time experiences.

4. Choose a reward for each goal as it is accomplished! It can be a small or large reward- it's up to you.

5. Blog about your goals, each one as you achieve it and a big post when they are all finished before the new year!

 1. Frame Pictures - I have quite a few pictures that have been hidden away in cupboards, boxes and drawers for so long purely because I haven't got round to framing them.  It's such a shame and I need to do something about it.
2. Use my camera apps - I have a bit of an addiction to i-phone camera apps... there I admitted it, and now I have that off my chest I'm going to do something about it.  I'm going to make use of all the apps that lay dormant on my phone and add a bit of variety to my photos.
3. Meditate daily - this is something I have been trying out recently and I must admit I'm finding it really interesting.  I think there definitely is a benefit within meditation and I want to introduce it as a regular part of my daily life.
4. Showroom at least twice a month - there is an amazing independent cinema in Sheffield that me and Floyd are members of, but to get the best value for our membership we should go at least twice a month (which we haven't been doing - oops).  Now I've got more of a reason to change this poor attendance - and I'll get to see lots of good films along the way.

I haven't quite thought up what my rewards will be, but I'm sure I'll be able to think of something soon enough... If you are going to play along too I'd love to see what your goals are - leave a link to your blog below and maybe we can give each other encouragement.

Lois x

Practise

I've been spending a bit of time recently practising. Practising with my camera, mirrors, editing, new techniques... just my photography skills generally.  I think it is so important to make great images to share here with you guys.  There are so many posts about my daily life that I don't bother sharing in the end because I haven't managed to find a decent enough picture to go with the story.  Therefore I decided I need practise.
I'm going to spend more time this weekend and next week thinking up ideas for photo shoots, and try my hardest to take more pictures - a lot more!

In other news, I went to my first Nando's tonight with friends - it was pretty tasty!  Tomorrow I have my good friend Amanda visiting with her little angel Lily.  So hopefully I'll have some pictures to share from that (or I'll just spend all evening chatting and ignoring my camera like I usually do!).

Fitness

Something needs to be done about my fitness. I've mentioned previously that I've started up pilates again, and am looking forward to the day I have more energy, flexibility and strength. This video is so inspiring to me (don't worry, I'm not going to go crazy fitness lady on you!) - how amazing is this woman? Hats off!

I love yoga and pilates because they're gentle yet challenging exercises. I think the reason I feel so sluggish sometimes is because I don't always look after myself properly, and I plan to change this. As well as changing the way I'm eating (I found out recently I have a wheat intolerance), I'm going to change the way I prioritise fitness in my life - something I have struggled with forever. As the weeks go on I'll be looking for new ways to keep myself motivated, and I'll try and keep you updated along the way.

Wish me luck!

My First Moleskine

 I love anything that helps me be more productive, and often I let good ideas pass me by purely because I forgot to write them down at the time.  Therefore I thought it necessary to carry with me something that would prevent that happening in the future.
Now it's not like I've never carried a notebook around with me before - I've carried notepads and scraps of paper that fill up my handbag, and second handbag, and purse... you get the idea.  But that's not the most organised way of cementing my ideas, as it can be a brand new challenge just trying to find that scrap of paper with that amazing idea I know I had the other day!
I have often used my diary as a place to scribble thoughts and ideas, but I'm sure you can imagine how messy that can get when your jotting down appointments and to-do lists as well!  I needed a place exclusively for my creative ideas - thus let me introduce my lovely new Moleskine.

I chose a Moleskine because of it's simple, beautiful design and it's history.  I only jot down my ideas in here (rather than filling it up with other distractions), so I know when I open it up I'm bound to find some organised inspiration - love it!

I now include my Moleskine as an essential handbag item along with my diary, phone and other usual suspects - please note this post is not sponsored by Moleskine!  Do you have anything you can't get by without?

28 before 29

So here it is... just over 1 month since I made it.  My annual list of things to accomplish before my next birthday.  Read more about this thing I do here.

Just in case you can't read it up there:

1. Random acts of kindness.
2. Make cute clothes for Betty.
3. Cocktail party.
4.Take polaroids.
5. Learn ukelele.
6. Decorate.
7. Make a GIF.
8. Write (someone I love) a letter or e-mail a week.
9. Try 15 new recipes.
10. Apply to a craft fair.
11. Find my style.
12. Make weekly/monthly goals.
13. Get business cards.
14. Try making rubber stamps.
15. Visit a new park (there are loads in Sheffield).
16. Make myself something to wear.
17. Do a "photo an hour" one day.
18. Book binding.
19. Work on branding for Cellar Door.
20. Fill my home with photos.
21. Wear heels.
22. Do more entertaining.
23. Learn to knit with circular needles.
24. Use my tagine.
25. Make blogbuttons.
26. Design packaging for Cellar Door.
27. Dance lessons.
28. Bento.

I'm going to try extra-hard this year to cross each and every one of the list.  Wish me luck!  Do you do anything similar?  Leave me a link if you do - I love checking out other people's to-do lists (strange, I know).

27 before 28 recap

Last year on my birthday I took inspiration from this post and made myself a list of things to accomplish before my next birthday.  Here it is:

I actually managed to complete more than I thought I would (see what great faith I have in myself) and think it's a great way of acheiving things you wouldn't usually set out to do.

Through making this list I have definitely done more, tried new things and been places I probably wouldn't have made the effort to otherwise.  I shall continue this tradtion until I have done everything I ever wanted to!

I shall post my new list soon... stay tuned. 

Shop my wardrobe

I have too many clothes, it's true.  You will never hear me say that in front of my manfriend mind;  that would be giving him the ammunition to tell me off every time I come back from town with bags of shopping I shouldn't have.
You can often hear me winging "I have nothing to wear!" yet the fact remains, my wardrobe is crammed full of clothes that are old, tatty and mismatched.
Every now and then in an attempt to remedy this problem and rid myself of unecessary clutter I 'shop my wardrobe'.  Let me explain...

I rummage through the items of clothing on the rails and in my drawers and imagine whether I would buy them now if I saw them in the shops.  Many people do something similar, for example if they haven't worn something for a certain amount of time they give it away; but I find that I have items that I love, and although haven't worn for a while don't want to give it up just yet.  So I find 'shopping my wardrobe' a more effective way of deciding whether I still like something or not.

It's a great way to de-clutter and make room for newer, better items.  I'm quite bad for holding on to things for too long, or getting attached to worn-in and comfy items, so this is my way of trying to improve my wardrobe and ultimately my style.

I hope this has inspired you to do a bit of wardrobe spring-cleaning.  Remember, charity shops are always in need of fresh stock!

- Lois x

Resolutions

I must say, I'm usually quite good at keeping to my new year's resolutions.  In the past I have read a book a month, given up "crap mags" (you know the kind full of celebrity gossip and tripe), volunteered for charity and stopped smoking.  Last year though, I only managed to complete one (and a bit) of my three resolutions - learning to knit, learning to drive and learning to swim.  Not the best effort.

This year is going to be all about self-improvement.  I plan to get myself fit, sort out some sort of regime and stick to it.  I also plan to learn new skills and knowledge - this is always kinda on the 'to do' list, but actually deciding on what I want to learn and setting a goal to do it definitely helps spur me on.  Motivation is a must here!

It's my birthday next month, which is when I will be setting my detailed list of goals to achieve by my next birthday.  So for January I'll just concentrate on getting myself in the right mindframe for the year ahead.

What have been your resolutions?

- Lois x