My year of more and less: month seven

I'm starting to realise a major benefit of not shopping this year. I no longer have to try and find space for new purchases. No more trying to squeeze one more item in the cupboard. I'm also become much better at just going with what I have. I needed a new phone case and rather than buy a new one I just grabbed a pink fluffy one (purchased by my mum but never used) out of the car boot sale box. Ok it's not totally my style, but it does the job and is easy to find in my bag.

July goals

My July goals were to give blood, clear 5 items from my 40 for 40 list, and get in with my letter writing ebooks. How did I do?

• I looked into giving blood, and got lots of useful advice from friends about bring nervous. I can't give blood at present because I have some lingering cold sores, and the blood.co.uk, which had lots of useful information indicates I have to wait until these have sorted themselves out. I'm hopeful I might make an end of September donation session, and what better excuse in the meantime to take better care of myself than I have been.
• I've did a couple of items on my 40 for 40 list but am feeling less rushed about the whole thing. I don't currently have 40 items on it, and if it takes me until I'm 49 to do them all so be it. The important thing is to keep doing new things and not to be put off by fear of the unknown.
• I've decided on the sections/chapters for my ebook, and written notes for what the content in each section will be. I just need to start doing the actual writing.

My three day rotation through my goals wasn't as effective as I hoped. I'm not certain if this is because it just doesn't work for me, or if being overwhelmed by all the other stuff in my life interfere with things.

 

August goals

I was away for a few days at the end of August and failed to do my usual big picture, and mini goals planning for the month. I intended to do it on my return and was struggling to come up with some not too exhausting sounding goals. I was pretty horrified when I opened my planner to discover that at some previous point I'd written in some energetic goals and decided on effort for my word of the month.

 

Happily I usually write in pencil so I took an eraser to my words, and replaced them with:

• Sleep more
• Read more
• Clear niggling tasks

My word of the month is no.

 

I think a month of rest (relatively speaking) will do my lots of good and allow me to get on with new exciting things in future months.

 

Wishing you green ink and good food,

Annastasia

 

 

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My year of less and more: month five

I’ve now completed 5 months without purchasing clothes, shoes, or accessories. It feels so normal that I’m wondering if I might do a second year. How long would it take me to use up everything in my wardrobe? Would I find myself wearing a bizarre collection of items?

My New Year Revolution targets for May were:

• Create a list of places to visit in Essex
• Make a button collar
• Come up with some ideas about developing Not the vegan police

I managed the list of places in Essex with no problems. I finished it ahead of schedule. However progress on the other two was shockingly bad. I found it hard to find the time to sit down and sew. I considered this fair enough as I would need to meet various criteria to carry out this task (i.e. be at home, daylight, capable of stitching).

It does occur to me that if I’d taken 10 minutes to select the buttons I wanted to use this would have been a portable project. Likewise there is no excuse for not even starting to brainstorm ideas around Not the Vegan police. Getting started does seem to be the issue here. With future targets I will tell myself to do 2 minutes just to get started and hope this gets the ball rolling.

June targets are:

• Keep a sugar diary – just to see if I am indulging too much
• Write a real wild biography
• Upcycle a raincoat

Let’s see how the 2 minute rule works with these. I can also apply it to my Forty for 40 project which seems to have slowed down. My only progress has been to read a book on wild swimming.

 

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My year of less and more: month 2

I’ve now completed my second month with no purchases of clothes, shoes, or accessories. It’s not been difficult. However I have noted the following:

• It seems odd when I do walk through a shop selling clothes – as if I’d forgotten such things existed.
• Sales still catch my eye – I had to remind myself that I had no need of more shoes when I spotted a shop with a closing down sale.
• I’m finding more satisfaction in wearing the stuff I do have.

I’ve been setting myself 3 goals each month using the New Year Revolution planner. My goals for March are:

• Organise a vegan meet up in Chelmsford - all welcome
• Create a classics reading list for myself - suggestions welcome
• Sort out the garden - good weather welcome

 

I’m rather nervous about the vegan meet up, and know that I need to take action on this sooner rather than later. Hence I’ve made my other goals easy to ensure that I have no excuse for not doing it.

Last month I got organised with forty for 40, and assigned a few tasks for each month. So during March I’ll be looking at:

• Making crumpets – need to buy cook’s rings
• Planning a visit to Veganz in Berlin
• Making a green cape
• Organising a boudoir photo shoot with Carla and my bass

 

Wishing you all things green,

Annastasia

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2013 Mid year review

At the start of the year I made a list of things I wanted to do in 2013. I reviewed them recently and my performance has been mixed!

Definitely making progress

• Start a burlesque troupe and perform with them - a definite 'yes' following the formation of the Paper Dolls and The Fling festival.
• Develop different income streams - I've certainly put plenty of energy into this area! In addition to Ink Drops Boxes the stationery subscription service I run with Carla of Ducking Fabulous, I've also been experimenting with Etsy, Ebay, Flea markets, and am working on a car boot sale and the green shop.
• Engage with people more - I've met loads of interesting people this year and said yes to far more opportunities to connect.

Could try harder

• Explore geocaching - lost my vibe on this after several fails at finding my 2nd cache.
• Make pasties, knickers and garters - made paper pasties in April, but bit of a fail on the rest
• Spend less time doing unnecessary things - there still aren't enough hours in the day.

Things to read

• The Woman in white
• To kill a mocking bird
• Treasure Island
• Pride and prejudice
• something by Ford Maddox Ford read The good soldier in April
• Anna Karenina

So looking at what I need to do for the rest of the year it's go geocaching, make some stuff, read plenty, and do less!

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Things I love Thursday

• My new spectacles – great service from Braintree Specsavers, especially Julie. I've never enjoyed choosing glasses so much.
• Getting ready for The Paper Dolls to appear at the Fling – 59 and a half minutes of burlesque here we come.
• Fabulous produce from my allotment – strawberries, rocket, spinach, and oregano.
• Nettle and Plantain tea – still loving the taste and think it is helping with my hayfever.
• Mexican millet – another amazing recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Veganomicon.
• Reading in the sunshine – something I need to do more of (sunshine permitting).
• Being complimented - on my speed and efficiency at tyre pressure checks by another driver!
• Dark shadows - I found time to watch a little TV and this was a most amusing take on vampires (and it featured Alice Cooper).

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Things I love Friday

• Vegan Churros – for being vegan and delicious
• People watching in London - for inspiration and intrigue.
• Vx – for being an amazing purveyor of good vegan things.
• The unexpected – because life is more fun when it's not predictablem
• Mel for Forever21 in the USA – because they have a green pair
• Being comfortable with the way I look – Let time worrying is more time to have fun
• Exciting burlesque projects coming together – next stop the Fling
• Risotto balls – I refer you to my well documented love of leftovers

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Forty for 40

My 40th birthday is well over a year away. But it's close enough. I only realised just how close it was talking about potential birthday celebrations for a friend who I suddenly realised was the same age as me.

I know that reaching this age is considered to be the end of youth. As a child 40 seemed very old. I thought that by I'd have my life all sorted out and that I'd have somehow overcome my lack of interest in marriage and children. That I'd wake up at 40 to find I was a mother, a wife and all settled.

However my interests over the years seem to have gone off in all kinds of other directions. Rather pleasing I seem to have turned into an eccentric aunt with lots of exciting things going on in her life.

Setting goals for Club 20 (see www.changeyourlifein20weeks.wordpress.com) has made me think about what I could do between now and then. Small things I never seem to find a couple of hours to try. Larger things that would require planning but be fun to do. So I'm drawing up a forty for 40 list. Lots of the things on it I would have done anyway. However I like the thought of being able to look back from the heady heights of 40 and admiring the richness of my life.

And then start on fifty for 50. After all wonderful things can happen in a year or so. Imagine what one could do with a decade!

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Things I Love Thursday

It's tofu - in case you were wondering

• Pulling the right thread for a jumper to unravel – because it’s more fun than endless unpicking
• Progress on goals with Club 20 – tofu making, knitting socks, decluttering for cash – find out more at www.changeyourlifeon20weeks.wordpress.com
• Amazing vegan food - because between Krazy Korean lunch club, Vegfest, my own cooking, and supplies from Vx I have one happy belly
• Time with friends - self explanatory but no less wonderful
• Sunshine – it’s a novelty
• Decluttering – less stuff, more space
• Playing with my band - we're sounding really tight and it's fun
• Using a Pomodoro timer online http://e.ggtimer.com/pomodoro – great for getting me to stop procrastinating and get started on stuff
• Green glittery shoes - I’ve yet to find an outfit they don’t go with
• Asparagus and potato soup the recipe for this in VWAV is amazing nad extra yummy made with Jersey Royals
• Green mascara - because I never realised it could look so good

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Welcome to Club20

 

Think back to late November. What were you doing? What did you have planned? You might have been thinking about everything you wanted to get done before Christmas. Or have been aiming to catch up with stuff by the start of 2013.

Now think forward to the start of September. What do you want to have achieved by then? Where do you want to be? What changes do you want to make?

Along with a number of others I’m taking part in Club20. Club20 is about deciding what you’d like to change in the next 20 weeks and then making it happen. Some of us are blogging about our progress over at changeyourlifein20weeks and it’s rather inspiring to see what other people are achieving bit by bit.

Why not join in? Simply pick three goals and work at them over the next 20 weeks. Look at your progress on a weekly basis and set actions to carry out in the coming week.

I’m going to be working on:

1. Decluttering, preferably for cash

2. Knitting a pair of socks

3. Making tofu

I’ll be reporting on my progress and explaining a little more about why I’ve chosen those goals here and on the Club20 blog. I’m hoping to be able to post a photo of an empty space with a block of tofu, some socks and a cash bag in the middle.

 

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Seven for 7

Cooking - home made soy milk. Obviously it was a brilliant idea to start with a recipe that makes bucket loads, although I have now consumed it all (its been a week of hot chocolate, porridge and pancakes).

 

Reading - Free Range Humans by Marianne Cantwell, How to be a woman by Cailtin Moran, The affair by Lee Child, The good soldier by Ford Maddox Ford, Lace by Shirley Conran. The best weeks are the ones full of books.

Working on - something top secret!

Planning - what to plant on my allotment and where - let's hope this growing season is better than the last

Enjoying - live music in the form of The Downside in a local pub - nothing like a dancing to amazing music on a Sunday night (especially when you don't have to go to work the next day).

Buying - a green skirt with polka dots

Enjoying - the company of friends, especially Naomi, Carla, and the other burlesque girls

 

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This week I plan to...

 

I've really been looking forward to this weekend. Now it's arrived and the sunshine is shining it's even better. So what have I got planned? I've tired not to overload myself with tasks but I do want to do the following:

• Work through the Free Range Humans book - I pre-ordered and it's been sitting on my shelf since January
• Write a blog post about Barcelona - I failed to do this for Rome last year and really want to share my vegan experiences in Barcelona even if it's brief
• Work on my allotment - I've bought seeds and dug my plot so if it doesn't snow I'm good to go
• Work on a website and a couple of other things - these are on my 'guilt' list
• Choreograph, or at least start to, a couple of burlesque routines
• Chill out with a book

 

 

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Seven for seven

A whistlestop tour of my last seven days in which I have been mostly: 

Wearing corsets

 

Reading more Barbara Kingsolver

 

Eating vegan sausages -from toad in the hole to hot dogs to a traditional Hogswatch supper

 

Listening to Bon Jovi's first album - I just can't be enough of a track called Roulette

 

Indulging in afternoon naps

 

Fretting over business banking and upcoming craft fayres

 

Hanging out with the lovely people who attended Hogswatch celebrations

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Things I love Thursday -friends and fabric

It's not been a very jolly week so it seemed even more vital that I take some time out on a Thursday evening to celebrate the things in my life that are good.

• Memories of sunny days without worries
• Lovely evenings at Mimi's eating, drinking tea and chatting before dashing to Burlesque class
  

• This glorious under bust corset in my favourite colour
  
• Making plans with friends
• Green dresses, especially my new lace one
• A belt that goes with everything
• Hours of patchwork creation
• A floor coveted with fabric scraps
• A pin board covered with sewing ideas
• Getting inspiration from Mollie Makes magazine -almost tempted into a subscription but happily I can't decide between print and virtual
• Cheery emails from chums
• booking tickets to see Alice Cooper in October
• crafting plans for the weekend

Things I Love Thursday - work, blog, declutter

My job - I am blessed to do work I enjoy with fab colleagues that I hope makes a difference to the world. I enjoyed Easter at home but felt perfectly happy to go back to work on Tuesday.

Finding new blogs - I love finding new blogs to read. They satisfy my craving for information, inspire me and sometimes make me glad to be alive! My new favourite is Conversation Pieces which I stumbled upon following a link from A Domino Effect about an Aero tray bake (more on that and my vegan version next week hopefully).

Decluttering - the DVD and video cupboard in the corner of the front room got tackled on Easter Sunday and once again I am amazed at how much better a space looks when there is nothing excessive in it.

Other stuff - potato planting on Easter Sunday, vegan Easter eggs, choosing a burlesque name, early Christmas gift inspiration, Sudoku, Working through my sewing pile, The Walking Dead, green nail varnish

Things I Love Thursday - simplified, yoga in ten and office love

Things I Love Thursday

Green sparkly shoes - they give everything I wear them with a little edge! Plus I never realised before thta my office carpet is actually green

Making plans - Maybe it's the idea of autumn (the old 'new school year' feeling), or all the blogs I've been reading about making lists, planning and getting organised. Or perhaps its just the joy of wunderlist.com and the sense of control and feeling of relaxation that adding everything you think of to a list. Anyway I'm feeling happy and anticipating the future with a calm glee.

Scrambled tofu - I used to make this all the time and then fell out of the habit. then Dear Heart made it for me a couple of times which has not only gotten me back into the habit but I'm adding loads of veggies to it. So it tastes good, contributes to 5 a day and uses up my courgette glut.

Staying on top of my job list (and not worrying about what's on it tomorrow), live bands, Catching up with friends and relatives, picking sloe berries to make sloe gin, friends who actually know what a sloe looks like, getting inspired about being thrifty (rather than frugal), tea made in a pot.

Things I Love Thursday

Days off - I have a couple of days off work and although I do have a big job list to work through I'm trying not to overdo it. It was great to wake up this morning and realise that not only did I not have leap out of bed for work but that I didn't have anything else pressing to do either. Now if the weather could just get it's act together.

Decluttering - One of the tasks I will be undertaking during my time off is a clear out of our utility room. We finished puttung cupboards in it 2 years ago but it's never been properly organised. I'm slo looking at other bits around the house and embarking on another round of general clearing out.

My cooking mojo - This is really another take on decluttering but much inspired to cook stuff at present and use up things in the pantry and freezer. So chick peas are soaking, popcorn will be made, and another chunk has been hacked off the monster block of spinach pesto in the freezer. Plus I made vegan croissants at the weekend from scratch.

Other stuff - making adavance plans for gift free christmas (let's focus on the company and the food), wunderlist, stripy socks, cool stuff on the South Bank, toenails painted different shades of green.

Enjoy today and embrace the moment!

Things I Love Thursday

Playing bass - I don't know if it's because I'm getting to grips with my job and driving or because it seems like the band is really cooking together but playing bass is so enjoyable at present. I always enjoy playing but I feel really in the zone and so eager to play.

Home cooked food made from fresh ingredients - I seem to have slipped into rather bad habits when eating recently. Fruit and vegetables have been rather lower on the list than they should be and I've been indulging in lots of vegan cheese and processed stuff. Monday night I did pasta, quinoa and peas and topped it with slices of aubergine coated in herby breadcrumbs and shallow fried (inspiration from Vegan with a Vengeance). It tasted awesome. Leftovers have worked well for lunch and I feel so much better.

Melissa shoes - I love my 4 pairs of Melissa shoes and they are proving to be a mainstay of my summer wardrobe. they are comfortable, look great and are ideal for both hot days and rain storms! Anyone else find that if they wear them with socks (I know plastic shoes and socks sound wrong) the socks won't stay up?


Other stuff - feeling the fear and doing it anyway, learning to love fifth gear, Wunderlist, cups of tea, being inspired, wandering around charity shops.

Things I Love Thursday

Changes in routine - particularly when they include lovely company and cocktails. Monday I left the car at home so I could break with my usual Monday evening and have a couple of drinks with girlfriend. Two cocktail and a very special coffee later we left off from planning our burlesque debut and headed to our respective homes. I felt relaxed and refreshed the next day.

Lunchtimes in the park - It's good to be outside with my lunch and a book. I like looking at the people in the park and the occasional duck on the river. Whether it's hot or cooler the weather makes a change from my icebox office.

Other stuff - playing bass, feeling strangely calm, List making, home made pizza vegan cheese.

Phrase of the week

"I'll stick it on my list"

Such is my obsession with Wunderlist and the way it links up between my phone and various computers I use (although it doesn't like IE6 very much) that I utter this abut every ten seconds.

Plus inspired by Raptitude I've been reading Getting Things Done by David Allen. I must confess that I've been working through it in small easily digested chunks. there are loads of thing int his book that have really made me thing but the main one is that if I've added it to my list then I don't have to worry about it (as long as I empty my collection buckets regularly).