Kiley and Miki

Helen Kish's newest Riley's World dolls, Kiley (smiling) and Miki (looking sleepy on the right) are having a party celebrating Kiley's birthday!  Zsu Zse is attending.  I made Kiley's dress from a pattern in Londie Phillip's new book.  The fabric is a great vintage piece that was a freebie with an etsy order from Niesz Vintage Fabric and Design.  (Thanks for the great fabric!)  I lined it with white cotton, as the original fabric is quite sheer.  It gathers beautifully for this scale work.

Barnyard Balls

For my nephew, Noah, from a pattern I purchased on etsy.

Finally, some crafting!

At last! I've had time to make something! I've been working on making belated holiday gifts for my nieces and nephew. I still have my nephew's present left to make, but all the others are done. Above is Mitch, the Monkey, made from a Funky Friends Pattern. He's for my two-year old niece who likes monkeys right now. He's very huggable!

Another huggable item is this cutie, made for my niece, Jewel. She's five and has red hair, too. This doll was made from Wee Wonderfuls' pattern for Chloe, Kit and Louise and will be named Julia Mary. It took me yesterday afternoon and evening to make the doll and then today to make her clothing. The hair was a little tricky but came out fine.

For my niece Lauren, I have made a pincushion and I will be giving her a sewing book and some other sewing accessories so she can learn to sew. I hope she enjoys it as much as I do. The pincushion pattern is from Pretty Little Pincushions. I love that book--it has GREAT patterns!

And for Jenna, I've made a carrying case for her crochet hooks. She's learning to crochet! I've also gotten her a crochet book, too. The pattern for this hook caddy was from Sew Darn Cute.
I used buttons to embellish the front.

And for Alexis, I've gotten her a book to read and made her this little friend to read it with. The pattern is from Ami Ami Dogs, a Japanese crochet book.
I just have a chicken toy left to make for my little nephew, Noah. I have already gotten him a storybook about a mother hen!

A Year in Review and Outlook for Next Year

Toby Being Cute

It's been a big year. Time for a little reflection. My main resolution from last year involved trying to manage my time better so I am less stressed. I have to say, I've still got some work to do on that, but I've made a great start. I decided to buy the practice I'm working in so I can set my own hours and manage the place the way that I will find to be the least stressful for everyone. So, I've been temporarily MORE stressed but I see light at the end of the tunnel. And I've also found that the amount of stress that I feel is greatly dependent upon my outlook on things. If I feel in control of the situation, it doesn't stress me as much.

Another big accomplishment this year was adding the chickens to my household. Every time I reflect upon what my perfect life would involve, it involves more ethical sources of food and increased self-sufficiency. The chickens were a GREAT deal of work to start up this year, but I enjoy having them both for the previous mentioned reasons, but also because they're just plain funny and fun to be around. The ducks were not a planned addition, but they are pretty comical, too, and I'm glad we have them all. Somehow, I ended up with 11 chickens when I intended to have three or five, but hey, the more the merrier!

Zillions of fabulous eggs

Things that have not gone as well this year: I haven't practiced the dulcimer as much as I would have liked, and I haven't done much artwork or crafting. I haven't had time to visit family ALL YEAR. This practice transition has been very time consuming and stressful.

I have, however, started on my dollhouse that sat for almost a full year as an unopened kit! It's going to be great and large and just what I always wanted.

So for this next year, I have a few goals:

1. Have a successful starting year for my new veterinary practice
2. Make time to craft lots of things and keep my etsy shop stocked.
3. Visit my family!
4. Paint my darn craft room! I intended to do this last year, but it never happened.
5. Work on my new dollhouse
6. Eat more vegan meals. I'm uncomfortable with the lives that dairy cows have in this country, and as a vegetarian, a lot of the fat and calories in my diet come from eating milk products. I think that eating more fruits, veggies and grains will help me be healthier overall. I've gotten Vegan Lunch Box for Christmas so that will help with this goal.
7. Continue to play my dulcimer. Perhaps get a new music book because I am bored with the few I have.

So Happy New Year and I'm hoping we're off to a good start!