Hello there 2011, how YOU doin'?

It's a new year. Again. OMG.

I swear, the holidays go by SO quickly, and having both kids completely enthralled by Sparkly and all the Christmas magic, it was so incredibly enjoyable. I even managed to get the Rose Petal Cottage completely assembled BEFORE Christmas Eve. I do believe that is a new record. I had so much fun in December and through the entire holiday. Here I am, at the end of another Christmas holiday wondering how many more times I will get to hide Sparkly and watch my kids squeal as they find him, or how many more Christmases I have when they innocently and wonderously believe in Santa. My heart hurts to think that another moment has passed and I never know if it will be the "last". It's so hard when the anticipation is so exciting and so much fun, and it feels that it's over within seconds. Opening the Advent calendar every day, checking to see what fun thing we get to do that day, finding Sparkly, listening to Christmas songs on the radio, seeing the excitement in just getting all of the decorations out and rediscovering them. The most fun time of year transitions into the very hardest, and every year I tell myself that it will be better and it isn't. But I can remind myself that it won't drag on forever, and soon it will be Ben's birthday and Spring, and summer again. It's vaguely comforting at best. But I know that the more I wish for THIS time to pass quickly, the faster the rest of the year will go, and then I will once again end up HERE. For now at least, it seems that this year is starting out better than most in the post-holiday depression department, although come back and talk to me after multiple snowstorms hit in succession where I am home alone with 2 kids and a snow blower.

In the interest of staying true to New Years tradition, it's once again time to list all of our resolutions for the new year. This year, I'd like to just term it an ongoing "To Do" list. Because "resolution" just sounds like something you "tell" everyone you're going to do but never follow through.

So here it is, my 2011 To Do List:

1. Take an adult ballet class.
Just because I'm 12 years older than the last time I non-chalantly did double and triple pirouettes without batting an eye, doesn't mean it's not like riding a bike. It is right?

2. Hold myself to a REALISTIC cleaning schedule.
I'm not going to strive for greatness here or anything, but I think I can finally take control over my mail pile on the counter. I'm 32, it's time.

3. Stay ahead on sewing projects.
I ended the year with a lull in orders over the holidays, and I SHOULD have kept going. But it was Christmas, and I hadn't had a break since our vacation in August, so I cut myself some slack. BUT, there is absolutely nothing preventing me from keeping a nice pace that allows me to finish orders (or have them finished already) without chewing someone's head off as a result of unnecessary stress.

4. Clean my studio.
Brandon wants to renovate the kitchen with "Pacifico" cabinets. Perhaps I should let him. Do I think it needs it after only 4 years? Yeah, um, NO. BUT, I'm already imagining how wonderful these cherry cabinets will look stuffed with fabric. Not that I need a THIRD island cutting table, but I'm sure I could find a use for it. You know, if I had to.

5. Use stuff so I can get rid of it.
Sounds weird right? But do you have any idea how many half empty bottles of body wash, lotion, etc etc I have? Yeah, it would a LOT. I'd just like to get through them and move on with my life. And my cabinet space.

That's a reasonable list. I think so anyway. Nothing too drastic, nothing too complicated, but things that will really help me better manage my life.

It's a start.

Happy New Year!