A Surprise Gift, December Goals Reviewed, January Goals Set

Before I start on boring stuff, let me share a 'goodie' I received as the year was ending from a friend in Washington.  Marie, of Musing Crow Designs, is an incredibly talented woman.  We met several years ago on a art journal swap and have been friends ever since.  What is really funny is we have never met and we probably walked past each other in the hallway years ago.  We both worked at one time for the same airline and have circled each other in areas we have lived in, too.  One of these days we will meet in person - which might not be a good idea. We both share very similar interests and our pocket books and project stash might suffer greatly.  We do enough damage over the internet!

Anyway, I had sent her some fabric earlier this year and she sent me a thank you - 

For those not 'in the know', it's a needle case.  A place to stick your various needles so you can find them again!  Now I have to round up my needles from all the various spots I have placed them so I can find them again and put them into the book.

But the best part - my colors!  Actually, when I look at the front of it, I think of Van Gogh's "Starry Night", one of my favorite pictures.  But it's purple and green and she has done some great variegated stitching on the cover and around the edges.  I'm now one step closer to being 'organized' and I have a companion to remind me of others out there also sewing away.

Anyway....

So my goals for December were: 

• Set my word of intention for 2016 - I picked one, or it picked me
• Make bags for my oracle/tarot cards - also, partially done.  I have them at least wrapped them in fabric until I find something more I like.
• Set up my planner for the first quarter of 2016
• Update my projects list and start assigning an order to them 
• Work on Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt
• Catch up on the 1930's Farmer's Wife Quilt blocks - nope
• Look at scheduling a once a month writing get-together in 2016
• Send off my Chaotic Goddess swap gift
• Start mapping out garden plans for the front yard - not yet on paper, but planning in my mind
• Look for fabric for curtains for bedroom, bathroom and living room (I hate mini-blinds) - so-so...thinking of a shelf across my long, narrow window for plants in my east-facing window
• Read one book off my home bookshelf - not yet, but scheduling them in for 2016

For January, I have the following goals set down:

• Outline Seedcrone-Book 1
• Do my "Bee Hive" swap block and mail off
• Send out postcards for Postcrossing
• Finish up the top for the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt
• Cut out and stitch up muslin 'draft' of Texter's Harley Quinn cosplay outfit
• Find a similar pattern for Lady K so they can have matching outfits
• Get my list of outstanding sewing, knitting, and crocheting projects updated
• Finish thick, purple socks 
• No drive-thru eating
• Plan menus
• Sign up for and mail off the Chaotic Goddess "Book and Cuppa" swap
• Get the carpet and padding off the porch and to the dump
• Read one book off my home shelf

One good thing about goals and breaking them down into steps, is that I can tweak and amend as needed.  By being more specific on my 'to-do', I have a better chance of getting it done.  It will be interesting to see  what happens in January.