Farewell 2010...... Hello 2011- the International year of ME!

New Year's Eve; wearing my grandmother's mink coat for the first time.

Well 2010 was a really great year.  I fell in love and then out.  Quit a job and started a new one.  Started sewing again and kept on going.  And, I turned 40.  That's when I decided that this year is the year of ME. Things seem to be going my way and I've hit on some things that make me happier than I've ever been.   One of which is sewing, sharing and wearing my creations.

I noticed that the bloggers out there do a yearly recap but the above is my recap for you.  That was last year.  Here's what's planned for this year.

1. Sell my house in California - renters want to buy it- yippeee.
2. Buy a new computer- mine is limping along and aged.
3. Run the Shamrock 5k again in March- improve time and bring along friends
4. Sew a few jackets- at least 4 are planned- not enough for the jacket a month but that's ok.
5. Enter one contest
6. Join a sew a long- vintage sew a long- check! Found a pattern that I bought in the 80's
7. Finish my sister's dress- this should be #1 or 2 but I just thought of it.
8. Make a few blouses- at least 1 planned w/pattern and fabric purchased
9. Make at least one pair of pants
10. Sew through the stash before buying more fabric
11. Make one coat- one planned w/fabric already purchased.
12. Teach some kids how to sew- already started, see later post.
13.  Go to Paris for vacation.

That's all I'm willing to share at this point.  I've got a few others but let's just say those are more personal.  I will say that my new job has given me a good sense of accomplishment and doing a good job means taking a lot of time to plan and learn etc.  It's taken a lot of my mental capacity these last two months but I know the key to keeping balance is also putting energy into my personal life and that includes doing the above things for myself.  Balance; not easy but necessary.

And now a word about new years.....
I love to dress up.  Love it.  And the dress I picked to wear out to dinner with friends was my favorite sewing project of the year- blogged about here.  I see on Erica's site that it's her favorite too- fitting as she is one of my sewing heros and when she made it, I dug the pattern out and made it asap. Let's just say that dressing up makes me happy.  I had forgotten how much.  And more so when I can wear something I made that is fabulous.

Dinner at Blue Hour with friends wearing the fabulous Guy Laroche dress and fake eyelashes.

Two fabulous girlfriends: Angie and Mollie.  And, I finally learned how to pose in a flattering way.

We had a wonderful time.   There was one altercation (hushed but heated), one marriage proposal (not to me) and a lot of champagne.  Let's just say my couch was my best friend on the first day of 2011 and I caught up on all of Boardwalk Empire.  I should add a goal regarding toning my flabby arms- eeek.

Happy New Year everyone.