After months of procrastination and laziness (hey, why not be honest?), I'm finally finishing projects that I've started. It's sad, really... I've always been someone who can beat deadlines and actually enjoy pressure when I work, but when it comes to *this* - working on my own stuff - I've been pretty lax on finishing what I start.
Project #1 - A new background for my
Twitter page. I've been meaning to do this for a while, probably since I signed up 3+ years ago (yep, I was an early joiner... and then forgot about it completely for 2+ years). I've been so used to doing what could be described as bland and lifeless designs for so long, thanks to my many years in print, that something like this takes me forever to do. Newsprint is horrible to work with - inks set differently, you have to hope and pray that your paper is at a good spot on the press run that it doesn't turn reds to orange or blues to grey. The few times I've worked with glossy or digital, I've gone with more gradients and levels of opacity. I like the final result here, but I'm sure I'll change it.
Project #2 - New blog banner. I've been working on this for quite a while. I didn't want something that stuck out like a sore thumb or too flashy, but also something that wasn't too boring or mundane. I'm not 100% happy with what the end result is, but it is infinitely better than what was there before. I've worked on some parts of the layout of the blog, too, to match up with the new banner. Not totally set on what I've done there, either, but it's a work in progress.
Project #3 - Maddy's summer clothes. My mom taught me how to sew when I was in Brownies. She made a good portion of the clothes my sister and I wore until she went back to work when I was 10. I did fairly well in the sewing portion of Home Ec in grade 8 and have been sewing recreationally - mostly repairs to jeans and work uniforms - since. My dad got my mom a new sewing machine about 10 years ago and I inherited her old (like 30+ years) Singer machine. I like the idea of creating something that is actually useable - clothing is way to expensive in the stores when you can whip together a shirt in an afternoon for a fraction of the price. Like this material - I hit the local fabric store this weekend during their 50% sale. There's enough material there to make 10-12, if not more, summer shirts/dresses for Maddy. Total cost? $28, including tax and the $8 spool of thread... so basically $20 for the material to make what would normally cost me $120+ in the stores. I'm determined to make as many of Maddy's clothes until she vehemently protests, which I figure is by the time she's 13.
I'm aiming to start using this blog better, highlighting more of my work and plans. Now that I've got two projects down, I should be able to work on my ever-growing to-do list of things I want to get done. I've been trying to figure out how to work on my 'stuff' while being a stay-at-home mom with a 1 year old. Time is always short, but as Maddy keeps developing and growing, she's able to play more by herself on her side of the gate without needing me every second of the day. She's trying to go down to 1 nap a day, which has been a massive adjustment for everyone, so what little time I had to myself is even less now. But I don't hold a grudge against her for any of this - it's teaching me how to be more efficient and organized if anything. And being more organized is something I desperately needed to learn.
I think things are going well. I just need to stick with it and not get disheartened by any slowdowns. *fingers crossed*
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