Instagram 2012

While I don't have photographs of an entire 2012.. Here's a review of my Instagram posts for the year! I absolutely love Instagram (though I'm kind of excited for next year when I can get an iPhone with a bit better of a camera.. the 3Gs isn't the sharpest.) It's fun looking back on some everyday things that happened throughout the year... things that aren't posed or particularly significant at the time. Each photo is a little mile stone that brings back a memory. I hope to continue taking more photographs in 2013!

(Left to right) 

1. Inherited teacups and costume jewellery from my Nanna.

2. Adding my mum's teacup collection! Aren't they gorgeous?

3. Bought a set of scrubs after graduating with honours from Medical Office Assistant school (don't work in that kind of office, but it's kind of a right of passage!)

4. My first knitted cowl... I am now the proud owner of 3!

5. Modeling my cute peter-pan collar shirt (I was so tanned!) I'm also wearing shorts fyi.

6. My favourite teacup ever. It's so 1960s!

7. Lovely costume jewellery

8. My "medical" charm on my bracelet (see post here) for graduation!

9. My twenty-dollar mod dress! Good shopping day!

1. I love taking pictures of my feet. Sitting on a rock by the ocean this fall.

2. Sweetest little bun bun at the Saanich Fair (huge country fair I attend annually)

3. Glorious dahlias at the fair. Wonder which one "won" first prize?

4. More feets at the beach. Isn't it beautiful?

5. Candied apple from the fair... didn't pull a filling out!

6. Getting up ridiculously early for my shift. Definitely took awhile (still is) to get used to.

7. Decided to "treat" myself to a salted caramel hot chocolate. Definitely not a fan... it's so strong and sweet... but it looks pretty!

8. Starting to get cold out... time for cozy feets!

9. Raspberry Rhubarb jam on waffles.. yum!

1. Warm days in the autumn. Sketching at the beach.

2. Waay too early for work. 

3. Jeans I'm still hoping to fit into. 

4. Delicious fudge from Whippletree Junction in a lovely thrifted dish. 

5. My new haircut that looked awesome for one day. Probably why I cut off all my hair. Grr...

6. More lovely days at the beach. 

7. Being stood up by boys is no fun. Seem to have a bad track record....

8. Wee french bulldog I knitted for a lady's new niece. Isn't it sweet!?!

9. Movie and Borscht date with my Russian friend. I miss these dates! (So busy with school and work... we need to get these started again!)

1. White Rabbit Costume for Halloween at work

2. My (previous-*tear*) boss and I posing with our articulated physiotherapy skeleton  

3. Delicious sandwich from the Beacon Drive-In (and old 1950's diner by the ocean)

4. More feets and oceans. 

5. Super excited about finding this Kokeshi doll in Chinatown! 

6. Partly the inspiration for my new tattoo. Started to realize what was important to me. 

7. Frost on the windshield before work. Brr! (At least it was light out then!

8. Beautiful cliffs by the ocean

9. Being happy.  

1. Self portrait of me looking like a ghost. (I think the blue-ish filter was a bit much)

2. Morning sunlight

3. Felix helping me with my Christmas Stocking

4. A little drawing I did... soon to be framed over my desk.

5. Sweet little deer I found on Etsy!

6. My "family tree". My mum and I made paper decorations of old and new family photos to decorate the tree for my mother's annual Christmas party. This is my favourite. My aunt looks like a doll. (Maybe I'll do a post on this next holiday season)

7. View of the sky scrapers in Vancouver on my weekend over there.  I could just sit by the window all day and watch. I felt like such a small-town girl gaping wide-eyed at everything. Kind of fell in love with Vancouver.

8. Just a little sketch of a tea-drinking sweetie.

9. Organizational kick = sharpening 200 pencil crayons

1. The look on my face when my boss told me she was leaving, after each one of the office staff had already put in notice (random reasons, nothing to do with company-- just bad timing!)

2. Afghan my Nanna made, with my old bed cover and pillows--- my futon looks so pretty!

3. Sweetest little kitty ornament that I found at Whipple Tree Junction

4. My new tattoo! Carpe Diem.

5. My Kokeshi dolls. One thrifted, one found in Chinatown. Possibly the best things in my china cabinet.

6. Polarbear sweater from Forever 21. Super excited to have on 5 minutes from my house!

7. Sweet little dear. Trying to take some pretty pictures of things in my home.

8. Sometimes I like to try on wigs. I wish I could have hair like this.. it's almost this poofy and full in real life.

9. Organizational kick... all my yarn is in my bookshelf. Now I can actually see all the colours at once!

I'm getting super excited about my 52 doll project, working on my Dearest Doodles page, organizing my apartment, and taking lots and lots of photos! Happy New Year!

52 Project and Some Goals

Hello Everyone!

Happy New Year! 

Isn't it strange to think we've entered the 20"teens". I've often wondered how we're going to divide these years when looking back at them. I mean, you can say "oh, that mod dress is so 60's"... but what era do you say the "one inch zipper" low rider jeans of my youth would be in? "Oh, those are so....00's?". "First decade?" <-- much too space age sounding for me, thanks. Anyways, it's a conundrum. >_<

I'm sure half of people are feeling inspired and motivated today. The other half are avoiding loud noises and hiding in dark rooms. I'm not quite sure what I'm feeling. I think for me, September will always feel more like a "new year" than January.... the obvious shift in the season, "going back to school" (my favourite time as a child), getting out of the flip flops and into boots and warm coats.

 I have caught a bit of an organization bug this recently. I've always been a little disastrous (but well meaning!) with my home. I think I used to just get overwhelmed at the loads of crafting supplies. Now I "get" what works and am slowly implementing it. I also got a kick-ass vacuum for Christmas, so these aging apartment carpets are going to have a face lift (I can hope!)

Anyways, with all of the New Years and motivational stuff going around, I decided to make a few resolutions...

Resolutions 2013

1. Take better care of myself (exercise, eat better, floss... you know, the usual)

2. Take more care to put things away and don't let things pile up into Hurricane Karen. (A term an old boyfriend <not always so affectionately> coined)

3. Learn to enjoy doing nothing more. Put on a movie or pick up a book, make a cup of tea, and just enjoy being. I'm terrible at relaxing and always feel fidgety if I'm not "making" something. I really need to work on this.

4. Really start pushing to make my <<dream>> of an illustrated card line a <<reality>>.

5. Sell the dolls at a craft fair or local flea market... not a huge expensive fair where they'll get lost in the shuffle.

6. Update this blog regularly! (I'm the worst)

7.  Keep a positive attitude about work, even if it is a bit frazzling sometimes.

8. Try to get out of the house more. Go to a coffee shop. Get food from some little hole in the wall. It's so easy to be a hermit when you live alone.

9. Organize my closet. Get rid of things that don't fit, I've always hated etc.

10. Not feel guilty and mad at myself that I cut my hair. I'm growing it out again, that does not make it a failure. I'm just trying to deal with it. It's frustrating. I'm scissor happy. I'll keep trying different styles until I find something that works. If it's always in an ugly stage, oh well.

I also have decided to do a

52 project

(365 projects sound lovely, but this is definitely more manageable... (plus where the heck would I put 365 dolls?!?!) I'll try to keep to it the best I can ^_^.

 So stay tuned for more regular postings, perhaps some pictures of a reorganized work space, and constant updates with new dollies. It's kinda fun to think all that yarn is going to be become little huggable dollies for people to love! I can't wait to name them!

Thanks for reading dears,

Karen