Today's Handmade Pick

I'd like to start posting more often.  It's one of my goals for the year.  I think of so many great things I want to blog about but then never sit down and do it.  I think I get intimidated by the thought of having to craft these big, well-thought out entries.

So I'm going to try something new just to get me in the blogging mood.  I spend a LOT of time just surfing Etsy, browsing items, and adding to my favorites list.  Thus, I'm going to start a little series simply called "Today's Handmade Pick".  I cannot guarantee I'll do it everyyyyyday, but I'll try to do it as often as I can.

All handmade picks of the day will be chosen through a totally organic process, not by me advertising on Etsy forums or anything.  They will all be things I've favorited myself just because...I love them!

In honor of 2012 goals and plans, today's handmade pick is a cute little quirky notebook made by aileen bennett at creating stuff on Etsy:

Notebook - Plans for the Best Year Ever $11.50

Let's Go: Fab Ab February!

So I found this pin on pinterest and I'm going to attempt it:

Who's with me?!

Party like it's 2012

Hello!  Welcome to 2012!  Obviously I did not intend on taking a nearly two-month long vacation from the blogosphere, but December and the holidays turned out to be busier than I thought.  I hope that all of you had a peaceful (and successful, if you are a fellow Etsian like myself) holiday season!

With the beginning of every new year, I like to follow the trend of setting some goals and coming up with a resolution or two.  This year I read an article about the 101 Things in 1001 Days Challenge.  1001 days is three years, so coming up with 101 goals in 3 years gives you the time and opportunity to do some serious long-term thinking and planning.

2012 Weekly Planner PDF by milas on Etsy

 
I then stumbled upon the awesome website, Day Zero, and decided to set up my very own 101 things list.  You can see my list here.  I still haven't thought of all 101 things, I could only get about 80, so I have some room to grow.  I tried to come up with a mix of fun things I've always wanted to do and serious goals I need to do, along with a few things that I'd love to happen but don't know if they are possible (like weigh 140 pounds...ha...ha....).

I welcome you to create a Day Zero list with me to motivate yourself to meet your goals for the next three years. 

Here are a few of the items on my list, many of them pertaining to Lazy Owl Boutique.  They say you should make your goals quanitifiable and specific, so you can see I chose a specific number for many of them.

- Learn how to sew
- Cook a meal in the crock pot (I've told you I like never...cook)
- Paint every room in the house (ouch)
- Go to the beach (yay!)
- Learn Italian
- Go to Italy (TBD in a later post!)
- Cook 10 recipes from Pinterest
- Make 150 sales on Etsy (hopefully over the next 3 years, this will be possible, so far I'm at 10 out of 150)
- Write 50 blog entries!  Here we go!
- Sell at 5 craft shows (hopefully more)
- Make 30 things from Pinterest
- Read 75 books
- Eat at every Pappa's restaurant (it's a Houston thing)
- Make an ottoman/bench out of our old coffee table
- Eat on our wedding china at least twice (since we've never eaten on it at all)
- Bake 10 different types of cupcakes, yay!
- Be on the frontpage of Etsy 5 times (I've managed to get on it once this year already!)

So, now you can follow along with me as I try to complete this goals over the next 1001 days.  Let me know if you decide to make your own list, and we can share.  I need more ideas for goals!