Happy New Year 2019

Happy New Year to all - let us hope that 2019 will bring us moments of peace, joy and happiness.  Welcome to new followers and welcome back to those who have been followers for a while.

(Big Ben ringing in the New Year this morning/last night)

Today, as has become a bit of a tradition, I review various aims from last year and think about this coming year.  (These aren't really resolutions, as I find they don't last very long with me!)

• Make more felt - this didn't happen, because I had made so much for the craft fair the previous year and was a bit felted out!  I may do some again this year, but this will be as and when inspiration and inclination hit me.

• Read interesting books - yes, I have done this again!  102 books in total this year, many re-reads but some new to me.  Quite a few crime thrillers have featured, balanced by romantic stories too.  I have enjoyed the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde and am on number six now.  The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths was enjoyable, as was the Peter Grant series number seven, Lies Sleeping.  I wonder what 2019 will hold - certainly the first in the Cormoran Strike series...

• Be Creative - I think this has definitely happened and will continue in 2019.  I have been sewing, gardening, reading, making cards, making jewellery, making gifts, creating an art journal (on-going) and have also completed four online leisure courses with FutureLearn (History of Royal Fashion, History of Royal Food and Feasting, Jane Austen and Introduction to Music Psychology, which was my favourite so far.  I have signed up to one starting in February - Literature of the English Country House - which I am looking forward to.  I would like to sign up for one on weather for gardeners, but that doesn't appear to be available at the moment.  I really enjoy the creative side of my life and find it has become increasingly important to me.

• Get rid of/donate things I do not want or need - I have been doing this but need to do more of it this year.  Alongside this, I also need to stop being so precious with my various stashes for my various hobbies and actually use the things I have (that's why I bought them, after all!).  As part of this aim, I am going to make myself a tunic using stretch fabric (something I have not used before and am a bit wary of).  I have the pattern and material, so I shall make that a definite aim for this year.  I also have quite a few kits for sewing/crewel work which I haven't yet started, so I need to start with some of them too.

Phew, I think this year is going to be a busy one for me.  

(Part of the firework display at the London Eye )

I hope 2019 will be a good year for us all.