It's 2013!!

It is so hard for me to believe that we are already a week into 2013.  I think 2012 just skipped right on by it went so fast.  Although, alot did go on....from Craft Fairs, to new designer fabric quilts, to the annual cousin visit out on Fire Island, to Hurricane Sandy / Frakenstorm, to a family Caribbean Cruise (which was absolutely fabulous!), to round-out the year with a beautiful Christmas and New Years.  Besides the fact that I felt a cold coming on Christmas night and it is JUST leaving me, I feel really happy with what I've done and how I've spent my time.  I have Little Olive who is still a happy, great girl doing well in 1st grade....and a Mr. Olive who is attempting to kick his tobacco habit - third time is a charm, right?  Although the Giants won the Superbowl earlier in the year, the 2012 season end came about too soon, but I did my best ever in the fantasy football league I'm part of with Mr. Olive and Father Olive!  Luck has alot to do with that.....

So as I look to 2013, I realized I never wrote up my resolutions for 2012.  In my mind I had them, although nothing lofty - save money, save money, sew more, drink more water, and read at least 12 books.  I was able to sew more, drink more water (does the ice in white wine count? ha ha), and I read 15 books.  I'm quite proud of the reading part because I hadn't been reading on the train, just sleeping and "smart-phoning".  I'll post another about all the books because part of this year's resolutions is to blog more!  I was a lame-poster in 2012, but realized that I cannot always fit in and I didn't want to beat myself up, so what I posted, I posted.  This year, I'm going to use my posts to keep my #1 resolution in check.  What is that you may wonder?  Here ya go.....

2013 Resolutions

1) Sew down all the fabric I've accumulated!  My sewing room is small and I have been buying lots of designer fabrics to make crib quilts.  This past summer, I thought we should expand our offerings with making lap quilts for people who want to buy for themselves or hostess gifts or friend birthday gifts.  So I'm going to try to sew a quilt top each weekend until my fabric stash is sewn down.  This will also give us great stock going into the summer craft season.  I also have to make tote bags and have the fabric sitting on my floor.  I'm planning to post my results each weekend.  I'm hoping that keeps me on-point.  I'm going to send all my tops to my lovely Mother Olive who will find border and back fabric, line with batting, and finish up the quilt.

Here is the first top in the "Kaleidescope" fabric line by Free Spirit:

 I also managed a new beach tote and matching handbag:

I also finished up 4 blankets for baby gift sets in this fantastic owl fabric (I used a cream minky dot on the back so it is super soft):

 #2) Read 13 books in 2013:  Last year my resolution was for 12 books since it was 2012, and I eeked out 15 finishing one up on New Year's Eve.  One was "The Fountainhead", which should be like 3 books!  I also finished the Hunger Games trilogy in a month's time, which for me is lightening fast, and prompted Mr. Olive to remark that he'd never seen me go through books that fast - this from the avid reader who finished the trilogy at a 2-days-a-book pace.

I have already finished one, but it was barely 100 pages and by a local NYC writer.  It took me 3 train rides to finish it.  I may count that as a "half" book, unless New Year's Eve rolls around and I've only read 12, then it will be a full book. ha!

#3) Budget Better: Mr. Olive is still unemployed, *sigh*, so I will try yet again to budget better.  I know I'll never achieve this resolution, but feel like I have to give myself a chance with the clean-slate 2013.

#4) Go to Church: Little Olive needs to go to Sunday school.  Mr. Olive is still bitter, 23 years later, at the Father who didn't allow him to take his confirmation test early because he had an away game for some sport.  He has agreed to go and show her a united front.  I'm thinking a new folding table and chair set may be a good donation to the Church from us.

Today we all went - there wasn't Sunday school because the church lost all its tables and folding chairs to Hurricane Sandy.  And there were no hymns because the organist is relocated due to the storm.  Little Olive said it went by fast!  Mr. Olive remarked about the "different version of the Lord's Prayer" that was part of the service.  That too threw me for a loop.  We all walked home holding hands and for the better.  I'm hoping next weekend is just as good.....and May weekends are better.....and hoping we make it through the summer....dare I dream?

Whew!  That is my little start to 2013!!  More to come......

Happy Sunday!

2011: Resolutions!

I've never been a fan of New Year's Eve out-on-the-town, but I do love celebrating with close friends and family.  This year we went to my sister's house with my brother and his family.  Since all 7 children would not be awake to ring in 2011, it was a casual fun night.  We then had a Wii Bowling tournament - the 100-pin game.  Very fun!  I'd never played Wii before.  Unfortunate for Mr. Olive, I only made it until 11:45pm.  I intended to 'rest my eyes' for a few minutes and then, it was New Year's Day.

I love New Year's Day because I get to 'start fresh' each year.  Did I stick to my 2010 Resolutions?  Some more than others....but the best part of 1-1-11 is that I get to try again. :-)

1) Pare Down. A recycled resolution, but still applies.  While I did a 'fair' job of clearing out, I'm committed to keeping this up.  My new twist - If I buy something new (like a sweater), I have to donate or toss another.  With this is mind, I should at least not be adding to the problem.  And my question to self from last year, "Do I really need 8 white shirts?" the answer is YES - a white shirt goes with everything and a definite work-staple.   We did shop-in-our-own-pantry and medicine-chest so happy to report that this was successful.  Also successful to find mustard with an expiration date of 2003....

2) Monthly Mad Money. So while I'm not the best at keeping up with a budget, we started off 2010 allotting Mr. Olive and I $100 cash a month to be spent however we choose. How it works:  We put the cash into an envelope and at the end of the month, before we get our new $100, we see where we spent the former month's money. This worked through May, but then the summer came and I didn't keep up.  So we're trying again in 2011.  Last year I felt the money like a vice-grip in that envelope since I was used to buying what I wanted, when I wanted.  This year, I feel no such pressure.....I think it just took time to get used to waiting and really knowing if something was worth pulling out the cash. 

3) Promote the Sewing Business. 2010 was a great year for us - we had the most sales that we've ever had without doing more craft shows.  It was also the year we finally fulfilled the goal of hiring a graphics designer and had our website professionally done (she also did the blog design - Thanks Sunee!).  Here is the link to the new personal website if you'd like to check it out:  www.olivestreetstudio.com.  2011 will be about promoting the site, new goodies, and I'm hoping I can get us into a few little shops.

4) Read more books! Continuing with my resolution of three past years, and since I hit my goal of reading 7 books in 2010, I'm going to make a real jump and go to 10 for 2011.  Or maybe I should just go to 11 in honor of the year?  11 it is....

5) Exercise.  So I didn't reach the "Run a 5K" goal I set in 2010, but will try again this year.  I have a co-worker that runs, so I've asked him for the race schedule for the 2011 season.  As my parents have noted as they try to start regularly walking, 'sign up for a race and the deadline will be there'. So that's what I'm going to do.  I also have a gym membership at work so I'm hoping to use the treadmill and start Yoga classes.  My longer-term goal is still to run a 1/2 marathon by the time I'm 45...we'll see.

6) Enjoy life more!!  I'm someone who is always 'doing something' and trying to get items crossed off the list so I can 'relax', but the relaxing-part rarely seems to come.  This year I'm going to read the newspaper, do the Sodoku, read more to Little Olive...heck, life only comes around once.  :-)

What is in store for you this fine first day of a new decade??

This is Mr. Olive with the youngest niece, 6.5 month old Barbara.....



New Years Day - Full of Optimism

It's a new year - and a new decade - I'm full of optimism that this year will be a good one. Not that past years haven't been good, but I have alot of resolutions and goals as we leave the 2000s behind and enter the 2010s. While swimming in my head, I decided to get some down on 'paper'. So here we go...

1) Pare Down. Why do I have 4 drawers and shelves of sweathers? Do I really need 8 white shirts? And 70+ pairs of shoes? 6 bottles of bubble bath? We live in a smallish house - I should be able to weed-out just like I do in the garden. I can donate or toss. I can shop in my own closet. I can declutter the piles of magazines. I know I can do it!

2) BUDGET. No excuse on this one. I have the template set up, but it doesn't work if it's half-assed filled out. I'm resolving to get the situation clarified and on paper. Along with that, I will organize my investment statements and see where I can combine old 401ks to cut down on the paper. Hubby and I have decided to alot each other $100 cash a month to be spent however we choose. We have each put the cash into an envelope and at the end of the month, before we get our new $100, we'll see where we spent the former month's money. My pink envelope still has the crisp bill intact - he has already started chiseling away at his (but he has a nicotine habit and I do not - this habit is supposed to come from this mad money). Can't wait to see how we do!

3) Promote the Sewing Business. I have so many ideas for new items from stuffed toys, to dresses, to skirts, to quilt designs. The more immediate goal is to get a graphic designer to do our website. Anyone out there know someone who could help us?? PLEASE let me know! I'd like to scratch this off the list early on.

4) Read more books! Continuing with my resolution of two past years, but upping the ante just a teeny bit...I resolve to read 7 books this year. I hit my mark of 5 the first resolution year, and didn't count yet to see if I read 6 in 2009, but I want to read more.

5) Drink Water. I'm resolving to drink down the H20. I think there is some ungodly '8, 8oz. glasses a day' out there, which to me means a whole lot of bathroom time, but I'm sure I can make at least 2 glasses a day.

6) Run a 5K. I'm not a big exerciser, but I will run in the warm months. I'm not talking entering a race, but running the 3.1 miles. If it comes in race form? Great, but I'm not going to seek it out. Longer term, I'm hoping to do a 1/2 marathon by the time I'm 45. I know this has less chance of completion, but why not throw it out there?

What is in store for you this fine first day of a new decade??

(( The adorable dog pick with the fun 2010 Hat is courtesy of "I Lick You" Etsy shop ))

Another New Year's Resolution: Read Books

This is a repeat of last year's resolution, and while I did up the ante, it ain't by much! Some history: I had stacks of magazines built up from subscriptions that I couldn't bear to throw away without thoroughly reading first - the guilt of 'wasted' money prevailed in my attempt to clean the house. So what I chose to do was let most of my subscriptions lapse with exceptions for Coastal Living (I can dream of the beautifully decorated retirement home right on the Ocean or a lake), Country Living, Redbook (at $8/year I cannot give up the affordable fashion spreads, money-management articles that I constantly put in front of my husband so he can ignore, and 'best new products' bc I am a product whore), and US Weekly (the best maternity gift I received!). I also limit myself to a one-day commute to get through the magazines, or else it is garbage.

This freed up commute time to get back into reading books. I forgot how much I truly enjoy reading a good story. Last year's resolution was to read five books and I managed to meet the goal and almost got in a sixth, but ended up finishing "Crooked" by Louisa Luna in early January. My 2009 resolution is for six books - hence, my barely upped-ante. I will read different types of books too - chick-lit, classics, non-fiction, thrillers. My downfall is the same as my magazine downfall - I usually stick to finishing the book even if I don't like it because I don't like to leave loose-ends. There are two books from at least 8 to 10 years ago that I haven't finished and to this day, still consider going back to finish "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and "Snow Falling on Cedars" (both were too slow-moving for me - I needed some sort of SOMETHING to happen).

BUT, onto my 2009 reading! And I admit that when I check-out people's blogs, I go to the Profile to see what books others call 'favorites'. My first finished book for 2009 was "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Seibold. Right from the get-go it captured my interest with the despicable crime and narration from the perspective of the murdered Susie Salomon, but it is the infuriating lack of apprehended suspect, the unraveling of the family, and the building of a life that became the sad story for me. And there were moments on the LIRR or NYC subway when I had to have a tissue in hand. "Lula Boutique" blog owner mentions this book as one of her favorites and I can see why.

I'm currently reading the Ned Kelly story and don't like the author's style of writing, but I'm struggling to finish it and get that "check mark" next to book #2 (I'm counting "Crooked" as a 1/2 read - hee hee). Next up is "The Reader" as many of you know Kate Winslet won the Academy Award for her role, so I'm hoping it is a good story as I tend to respect Ms. Winslet's film choices.

Lula Boutique also listed "Go Ask Alice" by Anonymous as a favorite - and I read this back in junior high school. I thought about re-reading it a week before I read her profile, so this will be on my 2009 list, as will "The Fountainhead" and "The DaVinci Code".

Anyone care to through out some more titles?? All welcome!