My word for 2016

This went around last year and I know I thought about it but decided to go with the phrase live, laugh, love and for me that's been very difficult. I haven't talked about this too much as I tryed to stay positive as much as possible but I have been really depressed this past year.  The search and lack of job for me had hit me really hard. I was feeling like I'd let everyone down.  I was feeling guilty, lonely and basically really bad. I was constantly on the edge. My family has been wonderful dealing with me and truly I'm so grateful to them. But laughing and taking on life and just living, it wasn't happening.  I wasn't able to let go.  If you've ever been there you know just how bad you feel.  I was nowhere near as bad as some but I still struggled some days to do anything much.  You realise how much time you waste when you get home and realise you have to leave again to pick the kids up and all you have achieved is 10 episodes of NCIS.

Oh gosh! This post has gone where I wasn't intending it to go but I want to talk about this with you.  Because at home I really struggled to talk about it I just became more angry and isolated.

So with all the changes in my life over the last month I wanted to talk about my changed outlook.  I look forward to the day ahead.  I view it as a challenge a fun one.  I'm smiling and laughing more.  Yes I'm tired but it's a good tired.  I feel much more like me.  Next year I want to keep this going. Work is long hours but it's fun. The people are nice and it's a good challenge.  I want to keep this feeling going.  Something to make me look forward. To set goals for the future and feel like I can!

I've thrown words around something that is the goal for me next year. 

Spirit
Hope
Believe
Focus
Calm
Destress

All these are great words but they didn't quite work for me and now I have to decide what calls to me!

In the end it all came down to one word. This coming year will be ALL about one word for me. That word is 

LEARN

I know next year is going to be a year of learning. Learning with my job and absorbing all that I can. Learning how to let go and be happy with where I am. Learning how to make lots of clothes. Basically I want to take all the opportunities that come my way to branch out and learn and be amazing. I want to take those opportunies and move forward. 

So what is you year going to be? 

Next year is going to be Awesome :D Join me for the fun!

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

This week on instagram

So while I haven't been blogging much I have been sharing a lot over at instagram as it is such an easy way to share. Those posts to there also automatically share to my facebook but I know a lot of you just read my blog. So I am going to try sharing as often as I can here now as well.

I have been doing lots of random crafts coming up to Christmas. Many little activities as I have to work around work :D Hope you enjoy the collection of photos. Warning VERY photo heavy!

Day 15: I love visiting my mother's house and borrowing her quilting table to cut out fabric. It makes cutting so much easier! This is the start of my Akita top. I have three pretty fabrics to play with and make some work clothes. 
Who else makes their own work clothes?

I'm cutting out more inserts for work. I've worked out the ones I like the most. 
They sit in my kmart organiser. And are great for keeping basic track of tasks to do.

Post it notes crafting 😀 my office may have many drawings over time!

Day 20: I'm crafting at lunch. I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting a routine happening.

It's still day 20 and I'm stitching as well. I just finished one of my carolers. When I finish it as an ornament it will become a swap gift. Soooo excited to get this finished as time is running out. If you want to stitch one of these today you can buy it from my etsy store. I love this cute little set of christmas carollers.

What do you do on your lunch break? I sat down and started drawing a tardis. I need to work on my perspective again!

I've continued to work on my quick sketch that I made at lunch. I've inked in the tardis and added some zentangles around the outside. I love how it's turning out.

Trialing ideas for christmas cards. I need to fiddle it a bit more. I'm not sure about my Christmas tree topper. But the basic idea is there

I'm making an ornament for a swap. Soooo excited with how it's turning out. I love this little design. It's one of my Christmas angels.

My doctor who picture is progressing. Definitely a fun was to spend some of my lunch. Hope your week is going great. I'm about to go have some more fun doing accounts.

I was up at 5.30 this morning so I finished up the sewing I meant to do on sunday. All that's left to do is stuff and sew the gap. So close! I hope the lady that gets it likes it. 😀

Dinner at my parents house has Lana and I downstairs sawing the pieces for our Christmas tree. It is going to look awesome! 

My Christmas tree is now up 😀 we just have to decorate tonight. I'm so excited!

Taking some time on this rainy day to do some entirely selfish sewing. I'm making a top for work as I'm sick of wearing the same 5 tops every week. 

I almost finished my new shirt. I just need to finish the neckline when I can get onto my mum's overlocker. It is a lovely fit and really comfortable. The next one, though I may add about half an inch around the hips just to give a bit more wiggle room. This is such a simple top to sew up.

Happy Stitching, 

Caitlin

Mulberry Pop Planner

I know I talked about being happy with the planner I had and I'd started to organise inserts and thinking about what I wanted then work started. I also have been thinking that I want my planning this year STUCK in one book. As cool as it is to be able to pull information in and out there is a beauty and simplicity in something that is just your year. 

I'm using the kmart organiser it's a personal sized planner for work and it's great. Portable, simple and easy to plan with and suits me great.  But that leaves my private planning.  I really don't want them in the same planner and my work planner is too small and needs to be kept private. I am actually thinking as I get to know what I need to make myself a travellers notebook for work. It just depends on the books I think....But that is another story. I want to talk about another planner.

The Mulberry Pop Planner. 

Oh gosh I'm in love! This lady is an Australian lady making a planner the quality of Erin condren and inkwell press. It has Australian holidays and seasons which is just amazing. I'm so used to just ignoring the dates I don't know what I'll do! 

When I opened the box it came so beautifully packaged. 

It has a laminated cover I think like the Erin Condren. With a page marker that you can pull out.


The planner starts with a yearly overview and a goals page. So PRETTY :D I love all the purple in this planner! Can I say instant LOVE!!!! There is also a 2017 yearly overview at the back which is always useful.


It's set out in a weekly horizontal view. 

With a monthly view at the beginning of each month. I like that it's only one page. As I don't like my month view big I just need enough to have an idea of what's coming.



The monthly tabs are small down the side but the colours match the months. They do exactly what they need to.

Oh and there is a pocket at the back to hold you stickers and stuff.

Other interesting information:

The paper is 120gsm which is gorgeous to write on. It isn't glossy it has a nice matte finish which makes it nice to touch. It's a 8x6 sort of size so bigger than an A5 but when I put it up beside my A5 planner it appears smaller as it doesn't have the bulk that the binder gets.

You can buy your own from her website and just so you know I am in no way affiliated with her I just love the planner and had to share it with you :D It will be my one and only personal planner for next year... not including my work one.

Now I need to go make myself a pouch to put it in to keep safe for the year. I am so excited to be using this over the year :D

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

More Changes

So I have removed disqus comments ... at least I think I have... unfortunately I have lost the comments made using that system. They are saved on disqus thankfully but they can't currently be synced back here. That makes me a bit annoyed as in the time since I've put disqus on my blog they went from being able to sync properly with blogger to not.... oh well.

It just wasn't doing what I wanted it to do and I think it was scaring too many people away from commenting.



Also while working I was trying to use the blogger app from my phone and thought that I just wasn't getting the comments from everyone just because of my comment system but then I realised that you guys weren't getting the posts at all! I was really good and had all sorts of things scheduled but some of them it's deleted and some it just didn't post. Some updates have been lost and all sorts of stuff like that. So I won't be using that app anymore!

These are just little changes but hopefully they will make a bigger difference in how the posts come onto the blog. Isn't it frustrating when things don't go according to plan!

Can I say I'm sorry that you didn't get the posts when I intended you to as it does make it less fun for everyone.

So I am now scheduling a review post of my new planner for tomorrow.... it was meant to post 2 weeks ago! So you will be able to comment easily on it and you will be able to see it when I intend for you to!

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

Christmas Cards and New Stamps

I bought myself some stamps from Hoffee and a Nuffin. I do love her stamps. She hand carves them herself and the quality is absolutely amazing. I was looking at some of her other stamps ... think about the doctor who ones and saw these and knew they would be perfect for Christmas. I had vague ideas about what they would become.

They always come in this absolutely gorgeous little bag!

When I saw this set I knew I just had to have it. Those gum leaves and gum nuts were just calling to me. Such an Australian design from an American lady.

and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them too. I think they make a fine Christmas tree.

Please excuse the spelling on Merry Christmas. All the letters are actually there they just got squished a bit together. I misjudged the gaps a LOT. This was one of my tester cards and I think I love it. So pretty and sparkly at the top (that is silver for the button) but so rustic with the leaves and gum nut. Now to find the time to make a bunch of them to send out. 

Does anyone else make Christmas cards? 

Does anyone want to receive a special Christmas card from Australia? 

Happy stitching,

Caitlin