Enjoy the New Year!

Hello! Okay, so it's been awhile since I have written anything on here--because of course it's been crazy with the holidays and family things going on. But now that we are safely into the new year and I have the opportunity to write a few things I'm going to do my best to stay on top of it a bit more!

I guess since it's thew new year and everyone is talking about resolutions--I want to add my two cents to the matter. First of all I think resolutions are usually a means for failure. You feel like you should make them now even if you aren't really ready to do them--that's not a good set up! Seriously New Years Resolutions tend to just be about denying things from yourself and then you feel bad when five days into the new year you end up indulging in a pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food and it all goes downhill from there! So that's why I think instead of taking things out of your life you should try to add things to your life. Last yearI decided that what I was going to do was focus on two things in my life--Travel and Art--those were the two things that I wanted to focus on and I think it was pretty successfull! I ended up traveling to Nashville, TN; Seattle, WA; and numerous other little trips along the way. Plus I participated in my first art swap and made a set of ATCs to share with people.

This year I'm going to try to continue to work on Art and Travel and the first of these projects is that I'm trying to locate the home of this Art-O-Mat machine which is hopefully somewhere in the United States:

If I can locate the machine then I plan to try to visit it sometime this year--regardless of it's home location! So that's one way that I plan to continue my focus on Art and Travel--let's just hope that I will have the funds to do so!!! Anyone interested in a road trip this year? I would also like to travel to Chicago for the handmade market on the weekends that they have there where they sell fun, hand-made items. Check out the website for it at http://www.handmadechicago.com/

Along those lines, one thing that I want to add to my life this year is sewing. I am going to try it and see if it's really a craft that works for me. I like the idea of it because I love looking at the fabrics and the colors and having the freedom to try to make something yourself just sounds so lovely, so I'm going to try to add it in to my life this year--although it might not actually work for me. But still I'm going to attempt to try it! I'm going to continue in my quest for finding an artistic outlet that suits me and my needs.

Alright so my real addition to my life this year is that I want to try to cook a bit more and a bit better!!! So wish me luck and share with me some good recipes, because it's time for me to learn some cooking skills that will amaze me, my friends, my family, and maybe even my dog... although Gussy really isn't too picky! :o)

Happy New Year!!!!