So, that was 2010...

It's over. Well, not quite. Technically there's still six hours left of it for me, but I honestly can't see me moving off the sofa for it. I've had a really exhausting day. It'll be a miracle if I even make it to midnight.

Anyway, last year I had a lot of plans for 2010. If you don't wanna read that post, I'm about to list the highlights, and how I did.

Be better with money

Ummmmm. Well, in spring I had a major breakdown money-wise. There was a Brownies thing, and a rent thing, and then there was a selling the Wii and tv thing, and it was a big depressing mess. A few months later I handed my finances over to my mum and asked for help. She called everyone I owe money to, and all my bills and things, and arranged for me to pay them. Now I have lots of standing orders going out on payday. It's been a little tough having hardly any money. I mean, I have enough. After all the bills, and gas and electric, I usually have £20-30 ish to play with, and to get food (per fortnight). That's not bad. But considering when I didn't pay any bills I had £200ish to play with, it's a bit of a drop. I'm getting used to it. As far as the resolution goes, I'm actually doing it. When I asked mum for help, the original plan was to hand control of my internet banking over to her or my sister, so I couldn't delete or change the standing orders. But there was a delay in some of the bills and things, and I never got around to it. But I've been paying the bills, not fiddling with the standing orders. Which for me is a huge improvement. I've paid off one debt already. By the end of 2011, I should only have one or two huge ones left.

Start saving

Not so good. I have difficulty saving anyway, and then with the money issues this year it's been impossible. With Project 200, I'll be saving via Cayden or Jen, and maybe I can give them some extra money too.

Pay damn bills

See above comment about money

Classes and courses and groups

In that post last year I listed a hundred different classes and courses and interest groups I was going to go to. I never got to any of them. I haven't had money to go anywhere other than on pay day really, and I've settled back into my old routine of not leaving the house. But I don't mind. I don't have anywhere to go, and I have plenty to keep me busy. It's not like I lounge on the couch watching tv all day. I do a lot.

Lose weight

I did go back to Weightwatchers. I went at the end of April and discovered that I very nearly hit that 30 stone threshold, but not quite. It was a shock, so I made an effort. I couldn't afford to go every week, but I went roughly once a fortnight. I lost a total of 18 lbs by the start of September, but then I had the big money decrease and haven't been able to afford it. I plan to go back in the New Year now I have a tiny bit of extra money.

Swimming

Nope. Never happened. I'd still like it to, but I'm highly doubtful it'll happen this year.

More writing

I have been doing some writing, but not nearly as much as I used to, or as I'd like to be doing. On my daily checklist, I have down to either do some math from a GCSE book I'm working through, or to do some writing. Trouble is, I've been counting blogging as doing writing. I'll change that.

Weekly photography missions

These never happened either. Although I do still like the idea. I may try it again this year. Perhaps not 50 pictures a week. I'll do 10 a week; much more manageable.

New incarnation of 52 New Things

I did this one! I completed 52 challenges. Well, I documented them all, I didn't necessarily complete them all. I'm quite proud of myself for that, and for last year. I don't normally manage to maintain a project, let alone one that lasts a year, and I've managed to keep these up for two years now. The new incarnation for 2011 is Project 200.

Moving

I did this! I moved on January 16th, and I love my flat. It gets a little lonely, but I have my Smudge....



...and I'd much rather be lonely occasionally than be in shared accomodation again. I love not having to compromise with anyone.

Keep my depression at a handleable level

Now this one is debateable. I've had a LOT less episodes than years past, but I've also been finding that my depression has been manifesting differently, so I'm not entirely sure. I haven't been suicidal quite as often, and I haven't self-harmed very much. But my dermotillomania is off the charts, and all my energy and oomph has a tendency to just vanish and leave me staring at the wall for hours at a time.

Stay with Neil

It has been a VERY rough year. Especially for Neil, with the loss of his brother, and a full year of episoding. His episode finally subsided a month or two ago, and his grief over Paul kicked in. He's had it hard. And relationship-wise it's been hard on me, because I've only seen him a few times. The last time was the end of July. But we're still together. I still love him with all my heart, and I'm still planning to stay with him through whatever life throws at us.

Be happy

I wouldn't say I'm 100% happy. There is still a lot in my life that I'd change if I could, and some stuff that I can change and that I'm trying my hardest to. But I can say that I'm content.

There's been developments that I didn't consider last year. It's been a year of pets. I haven't been too successful with them. When I moved, mum gave me a kitten. Tippi. Who turned out to be a boy, so he was Alfred Hitchcock, aka Alfie.



And then I got a rabbit to go with him. Sir Reginald Fortescue, aka Reggie.



But then Alfie escaped while I was down at Mum's one weekend, and I couldn't find him. And then my landlady decided she didn't want me to have a rabbit, so we took Reggie to the rehoming centre at PetsMart. So I was petless, which was not good. Then I got Pixel.



She was found by someone as a stray, with lots of little kittens. They took her in, but couldn't keep her, so I had her. Then I got Smudge, who is quite possibly the cutest cat I've ever had.



But Pixel tried to eat Smudge. Pixel really didn't enjoy being an indoors cat at all. She was always loud and restless and trying to escape, so I rehomed her with someone who could let her be an outdoor cat. Now I just have Smudge, but hopefully that's changing soon - there's a plan for kittens.

And the baking. I've developed a fascination with baking. No idea what triggered it, it just happened. Now I'm obsessed with it. The muffins! I've made six batches of muffins since I've been down here at Mum's. I made sausage and cheese ones Christmas day, and chilli and sweetcorn ones. Then I made gingerbread muffins. The gingerbread ones were so good one of mum's friends requested her own batch, so I made more of those. And yesterday I made more sausage and cheese ones because we had sausagemeat left. Today I made banana and walnut ones which were also delicious. But that's it! No more muffins til next year! Mind you, we went to Hobbycraft yesterday and I got cookie cutters, so I might make cookies next.

It's been a long and hard year. I hope 2011 is better, for everyone. Best wishes from me and Smudge.

Project 200

So, regular followers of my blog will know that for the past couple of years I've been setting myself a year-long challenge type thing. In 2009 I did 52 things I'd never done before. And this year I did 52 individual challenges. For 2011 I was going to do New Things again, and then I saw an interesting movie.

The movie is Julie and Julia, and it tells two stories simultaneously. One is the story of chef Julia Childs, and how she came around to publishing her cookbook. The other is a modern day story of a lady called Julie, who decides that she's going to cook all of the recipes in Julia Childs' book in a year, and that she's going to blog about it.

I liked the idea, but I'm neither proficient enough nor rich enough to do the cooking thing, so I had to think of something else. I considered working through a whole book of cross stitch patterns, or knitting patterns, or muffin recipes. I narrowed the idea down to making 52 different scarves, or shawls, or even blankets. Then I came up with the final idea. I took one of those display folders with fixed plastic wallets and filled it with patterns.

I have got a MILLION patterns. I cross stitch, knit, crochet, sew, blackwork, etc... and I collect books and patterns for all of them. I didn't think it'd be hard to fill a book with 200 patterns. It was. Once I'd been through all of the patterns I have, and picked out the ones I was interested enough in to actually do, I had about 50-60. So I went hunting the internet for more. It took me a while, but eventually I filled the folder.

So, next year's challenge is Project 200. A folder full of 200 different cross stitch, embroidery, felt work, crochet and knitting patterns. I have some rules...

1) ALL projects must be started AND finished between 12.01am January 1st 2011, and 11.59pm December 31st 2011.
2) Patterns cannot be changed. I can't find a nice pattern in July and take out one from the folder and put the new one in.
3) Once I finished the list, I emailed it to Cayden, and it became final. No more edits.
4) Additional projects may be made, but do not count towards Project 200.
5) Projects do not have to be done in order.

For a while, I wasn't sure if 200 was a ridiculous amount of projects, so I looked back at my project book. Between November 25th 2009 and November 25th 2010, I started and completed 91 projects. I started and didn't finish another 12, and I started and frogged 3. Bear in mind that I was also working on the Mammoth Secret Project, which took up a lot of time. So, 200 isn't that far a stretch. It's enough to be challenging, without being an impossible amount.

There are a variety of projects in the folder. Some blankets, and some jumpers and things, but then there are also several dishclothes, and some smaller cross stitches, so it balances out. There are some techniques I've never done too, like making socks, and intarsia. It should be... interesting.

Final detail of course, is incentive. I'll be giving Jen or Cayden a special money box, because they can be trusted to not break into it, and I can't. Then, every payday, I'll aim to give them £1 or £2 per completed project. I'm also going to gradually give them the money I've earned this year. By the end of the year I should have a nice pile of cash to spend at a nice yarn store. There's a place called K2Tog near me that does some gorgeous yarns - it's where I got that Noro, and the llama - I just haven't been able to afford to go there in over a year.

So, that's the plan. All that's left to do is wait until New Year. Watch this space.

New Thing: Challenge # 52

Challenge 52: Don't eat ANY Christmas chocolate until the day AFTER Boxing day.

In theory, this shouldn't have been difficult. I had plenty of non-Christmas chocolate to keep me going. It was hardest to remember. I'm so used to opening my stocking and cracking in to the chocolate coins without even thinking about it.

But I managed! And so the year ends on a pass, even if there were more fails than passes overall, it's still good.

I'm about to blog about my Big Thing for next year, so look out for that.

Current saved total: £100
Current donated total: £160

So, that was Christmas

My Christmas in pictures...



Mum's dog Gracie. Lovely little ball of fluff.



My sister Michaela, who spent most of Christmas on her laptop. She usually hands out the presents, but this year my chair was closer to the tree, so I assumed I'd be doing it. Oh no, she insisted she had to do it, but she took her laptop with her, and to respond to all twelvety-hundred of her conversations between each present. Took a bit longer than normal.



Smudge is doing a lot better down here than I thought. Mum has a dog and two big cats. We've been keeping the cats out of the living room, so Smudge hasn't encountered them. And she and Gracie have managed to be within inches of each other without fighting, but then Smudge gets anxious and hisses. They can generally manage to be in the same room, as long as Gracie doesn't get too curious.



Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, your baubles are so sparkly! And just because it reminds me of this...



Hehehe, I do loves those Lolcatz.



PRESENTS!!!





Shiny (slightly blurry) baubles.



Me in my funky Christmas hat :D



Christmas gingerbread biscuits. Store bought...



...but no less tasty :D



I made tasty muffins for breakfast. The red ones are Chilli and Sweetcorn, and the green ones are Sausage and Cheese. Both absolutely delicious. I make good muffins.



This is what Neil got me for Christmas, in his usual way.
Me: "Neil, can I buy this, take it off the money I owe you and say it's a gift from you?"
Neil: "Ok"



And Yeti enjoyed my muffins too. Lol, I'm such a child.

It was a good Christmas. I got lots of goodies, as usual. I was a little cheesed off when my 13 year old sister got a box of my most favourite chocolates - Guylian Sea Shells - and chomped through them like they weren't expensive and insanely delicious. But I got a big box of three different types of belgian chocolate cookies, so I was placated.

Oh my goodness, only 363 days til next Christmas! Better start making presents!!

New Thing: Challenge # 51

Challenge 51 - Go 24 hours without saying a certain word

Now, I'm a little bit obsessed with Christmas. I LOVE it, and I can't stop thinking or talking about it. So my challenge this week was to go 24 hours without saying the words "Christmas" or "Santa".

I waited until Thursday (today) to do this, because I'd be with Mum and Michaela, and would therefore have adjudication. Here's how it went...

Midnight - Okay, I'm still awake and chatting with Michaela about "Easter".
2am - I fall asleep
4.30am - I wake up and can't get back to sleep.
6.00am - Mum gets up so I make her a cup of coffee
6.30am - Mum and I are talking about tv and I mention considering watching a BBC "Truth about Christmas Carols" special
6.31am - Facepalm

D'oh. I failed. Miserably. I lasted six hours! If I'd been able to sleep longer, I might have lasted longer.

One more challenge to go!!

Current saved total: £95
Current donated total: £160

My 2nd Free Pattern - Candy Bowl

Candy Bowl
A 2010 Celeena Cree pattern



Skill: Crochet

You will need:
- Any type of yarn
- An appropriate hook
- Tapestry needle

Gauge is unimportant

Rnd 1) Chain 2, sc 6 into 2nd ch from hook (6)
Rnd 2) 2 Sc into each st around (12)
Rnd 3) *Sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (18)
Rnd 4) *Sc in the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (24)
Rnd 5) *Sc in the next 3 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (30)
Rnd 6) *Sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (36)
Rnd 7) *Sc in the next 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (42)
Rnd 8) *Sc in the next 6 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (48)
Rnd 9) *Sc in the next 7 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (54)
Rnd 10) *Sc in the next 8 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (60)
Rnd 11) *Sc in the next 9 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (66)
Rnd 12) *Sc in the next 10 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (72)
Rnd 13) Sc around. (72)
Rnd 14) *Sc in the next 11 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (78)
Rnd 15) *Sc in the next 12 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (84)
Rnd 16) Sc around. (84)
Rnd 17) *Sc in the next 13 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (90)
Rnd 18) *Sc in the next 14 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (96)
Rnd 19) Sc around. (96)
Rnd 20) *Sc in the next 15 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (102)
Rnd 21) *Sc in the next 16 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (108)
Rnd 22) Sc around. (108)

Note: you can continue increasing the size of your bowl at this point, but you must end with a multiple of 4 stitches. 112, 116, 120, 124, etc.

Rnd 23) *Sc in the next st, sk the next st, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the next st, sk the next st. Repeat around.

To finish, sew in the loose ends.

Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

Despite being laughed at, I still believe in Christmas, and in Magic and in you. I do know that you only have time to read the letters of children though, so I haven't written you anything in quite a few years now. But this year, I'm hoping that one of your elves will read my blog and pass on my messages.

I'm going to be at my Mum's house for Christmas, as usual, but the weather here is really bad at the moment, so please drive your sleigh carefully. And make sure you wear all your layers.

My wish list for this year is small, and reasonably practical. I need more yarn. Actually, that's not quite a whole-truth. I have plenty of yarn, I don't NEED any more, but I could always find a use for more! Especially soft purple stuff, since I used all mine on the Mammoth Secret Project.

And I've been working hard on my baking this year, so I'd like cookie cutters and baking trays and icing equipment and things. I promise that next year I'll leave you some handmade cookies. I might even manage it this year, if my sister helps me.

My final wish is something a little less tangible. I'd like for Neil's family to have a good Christmas. It's going to be hard on them this year, and I hope they can still enjoy themselves.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Santa! Give my best wishes to Mrs Claus and the reindeer and the elves.

Cleo, aged 28.

New Thing: Challenge # 50

Challenge 50: Write a "This I Believe" essay.

I managed to pass one! It's not exactly an essay, more like a list. But the whole idea of this challenge was to think about and focus on what I believe, and that's what I've done. I've left the file on the desktop of my laptop, and I'm going to look back at it in a few days to see if it inspires a piece of writing.

This I Believe...

I believe that everyone has the right to be as different as they want.
I believe in faith, and in a higher power, but I don’t believe in religion.
I believe that in the indefinable size of the universe, and other universes, and general existence, that there must be a planet with life on it somewhere.
I believe that vampires and werewolves and ghouls and ghosts and elves and fae roam the earth, but that they are better at hiding that the stories make them out to be.
I believe that despite my flaws, I deserve the same chance at love and happiness as everyone else.
I believe that love can conquer anything.
I believe in freedom, beauty, truth and love.
I believe that as long as you aren’t hurting anyone, you can do whatever you like.
I believe that Santa Claus is real.
I believe that wishes can come true.
I believe that dreams are messages.
I believe that people aren’t as nice to each other as they could be.
I believe in past lives and reincarnation.
I believe in imagination.
I believe that adults should indulge their inner child more than they do.
I believe that not all wounds will always heal.
I believe in superheroes.
I believe in the healing power of cuddles and laughter.
I do not always believe in myself, but I believe that someone else does.
I believe in the right of every human being to believe what they like.
I believe in the Christmas spirit.
I believe in hopefulness, and in hopelessness.
I believe in magic.



Current saved total: £95
Current donated total: £155

Lapse blogger

I have this wonderful habit of setting up themed days and forgetting about them. I gave up on the One Day One Sentence thing. Writing Wednesdays have gone awol - coincidentally about the same time my writer's block hit in full force. Food Fridays are absent because I haven't had the gas to do any baking. I'm having issues with my gas supplier, but they should be sorted in the New Year. Stitching Sundays are also missing. I've been doing a lot of stitching, but most of it is Christmas gifts I can't put on here just yet. Which is a shame, cos some of them I'm REALLY proud of.

I feel like I'm making excuses. I could find past writing to feature, and there is stitching I've been doing that I could share. I just don't. I don't know why. I like typing. I like to blog.

Actually World of Warcraft might have something to do with it. Last week Neil decided he wanted to reactivate his account, and he paid for a month for me, so I've been playing that a lot. I'm already having trouble balancing WoW with Christmas stitching. And I can't really blog whilst doing either of them. But I'll try to be better.

Maybe...

New Thing: Challenge # 49

Challenge 49 - Do a crochet project, following the symbols

Yes, this is the same challenge as last week but it's something that I want to know how to do, so I had another go at it. And this week I actually managed to have a go. I failed. Just a big knot. I understand the theory. I know that this symbol means do this, and this symbol means do that... I just don't get the other bits. Do I join the round? What stitch and I increasing into?

It made no sense to me. So fail. But at least I attempted it this week.

Current saved total: £90
Current donated total: £155

2nd Blogaversary

Monday 29th November was the 2nd Anniversary of my blog :D

New Thing: Challenge # 48

Challenge 48 - Do a crochet project, following the symbols

Crochet patterns are generally written in two forms. You get the line by line wording...

Rnd 1. Sc 4 in magic ring (4)

Rnd 2. *Sc in next sc, Inc* around (6)

Rnd 3. *Sc in next 2 sc, Inc*around (8)

Rnd 4. *Sc in next 3 sc, Inc*around (10)

Then you have a charted pattern...



When I taught myself how to crochet last year, I used the written out version and have never gotten to grips with the charts. My challenge for the week was to follow a charted pattern. I had one in mind, this nice star. I just haven't gotten around to it. I've been ill, I've had a house to rearrange, and all sorts. I just never got the time. It is something I want to do though, so I'm going to try it again for this week's challenge.

Current saved total: £90
Current donated total: £150