It is March 5, 2014 and the year has been moving at the speed of light. I have been pondering about what I promised myself that I would accomplish this year. Yes, the dreaded New Year's Resolutions!!! Let's see how I am doing thus far?
Resolution #1: Exercise and Lose Weight
I think everyone makes this resolution. I know I do every year. Well, my Husband, Jeremy, and I did sign up for a gym and we have been faithfully going at least 3-4 times a week. And you'll be so proud of us, we even have a personal trainer that we see each Saturday morning for half an hour each and then we do our cardio workout. Whether that be taking an Aquafit (water Aerobics) class, Step Aerobics, Zumba (me, not Jeremy), or just plain getting on the treadmill or bikes for 30-60 minutes. Yay us!!! Our weight hasn't trimmed down as fast as we'd like but we'll work on our nutrition next.
Resolution #2: Try or Learn Something New
Let me show you what I have accomplished so far with this resolution. It has been so amazing!!! I love learning new things!! It's enlightening to the mind and uplifting to the soul to get out of our comfort zones, use our intelligence that Heavenly Father gave us, and discover new talents that we didn't know we had!!! It's pure Joy and this is what life is all about!!! Try It!!! You will surprise yourself what you can do!!!
Here is what I have been discovering . . . .
Sewing pioneer clothes for a Youth Pioneer Trek for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is one thing I do not at all, Sew my own clothes or create clothes from a pattern. So let me show you what I've made.
The Apron is made from two queen size pillow cases sewn together for thickness. I did add pockets which were made out of our old, clean (thoroughly sanitized) fabric shower curtain.
 |
Pioneer Apron over the skirt
|
 |
The front of the apron over the skirt
|
 |
The back of the skirt
|
 |
Male Pioneer Shirt made in 15 minutes
|
The Skirt is made from a King Size bed sheet found at Goodwill. I was able to make two skirts out of one bed sheet. I found the pattern online for the skirt and the Male Pioneer shirt. I was so excited to learn how to do gathering. Therefore I learnt two things from one project. Gathering and sewing a skirt without a pattern that you buy at the store.
 |
Close up of Male Pioneer Shirt
|
 |
Male Pioneer Shirt Close up #2
|
The Male Pioneer Shirt was made from a button down dress shirt from Goodwill. I bought a white one and a light blue one. The instructions I found online. "A Pioneer Shirt in 15 Minutes". Great instructions and the step-by-step pictures were easy to follow and were exactly what I needed.
 |
The Pattern I tried out
|
This pattern I did purchase at Joann's Fabric and thought that I would give it a go. Why not?!! I already created two skirts and two shirts on my own. I was feeling ambitious and adventuresome. This is where my sewing skills are lacking. I did pretty good. I was making the dress in the middle. This too, I used a bed sheet from Goodwill as my fabric. I made part of the dress but I made it too big and I didn't know who to fix it plus having to do sleeves. YIKES!!!!
Needless to say the dress is still partially done. It took me too long and it wasn't as easy as the picture looks. I wasn't about to attempt the bonnet. My parents and hubby found two perfect bonnets at the LDS Deseret Bookstore for me. I didn't attempt to make the bonnet from the pattern. It was worth a try though for the dress. Still not a seamstress, I'm definitely a quilter through and through!!!
Resolution #3 Write in my Journal
Maybe there are others out there who are just like me that have several journals that you've started but never filled up. Are you the start and stop kind of journaler? Oh that is sooo me. Except for one time in my life I was a dedicated journal writer. I was serving an 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Adelaide South Australia Mission. I made a commitment that I would write every day in my journal of my experiences, disappointments, struggles, successes, and daily life as a missionary. Guess what? I did it! I had to catch up on some days a couple of times, but I actually did it!!! I have 3 1/2 journals (full size journals, not the small ones) filled. I mean every line, front and back. I thought that it was such a habit for me to write that I would definitely keep up with my journaling when I returned home and got back into every day living. That didn't last long. :(
But I am trying my best this time round. I keep my journal out where I can see it and I have been trying to write once a week. It's a perfect activity for keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. But I do write during the week if inspiration comes, something occurs that I just can't wait to write it down, or thoughts and ideas that just pop into my head as I read my scriptures or a prayer was answered. It's a type of genealogy. Did you know it? It's your history for your posterity. Maybe that can be my inspiration to write in my journal.
I am sure there are many more resolutions that I made but those are the ones that I stood out in my mind that I have already accomplished or striving to keep up with throughout the year.
How are you doing on your resolutions? Ponder, rewrite, and go to work on those resolutions. It's ok to adjust and definitely to start over. That's why another day is a great blessing. We get to try again!!!
So go through your resolutions and see how you are doing so far? Not doing so great, start now and GO TO WORK!!!!
