I've begun my first shawl of 2013 and it's from a free pattern called To The Point. The yarn is a beautiful color - Iris - from Caron Simply Soft.

Thanks to my Aunt who gave me 2 skeins of Indiecita - 100% Alpaca yarn.  It is cold enough to wear an alpaca scarf and I'm loving it (the cold & the scarf).  There is a predicted weather warm up for the rest of the week so I'm definitely taking advantage of these few colder days. 

The scarf is crocheted from a free Caron pattern called Wrap It Up.  It is a 4 row pattern repeat and I was able to get 21 complete repeats (84 rows) before the yarn ran out. Size H hook.

Just stating the obvious. I was one of the lucky few that worked Jan. 2-4, 2013 (oops, I'm still entering 2012.)
It really wasn't horrendous because the work was very light but naturally I got exposed to more cold germs.  I was almost 100% recovered from my month long cold mutation.

I completely reorganized my studio and that should mean more productivity however, it'll take awhile to remember where everything is again.  Usually after organizing and putting stuff away it seems that I can't find more things because they've been moved around from where I would trip over them. I just have these visions of someone thinking that I'm a hoarder and that would be awful. In fact my adult kids always accuse me of throwing things away and they never let me forget it.  I'm still getting reprimanded because I donated their original CandyLand game and Nintendo game system to charity.  In my defense, they only played CandyLand once or twice but my daughter insists that it was one of her favorites and the newer version has different characters and graphics.  I gave the Nintendo away because we upgraded several times and now have a PS3 however, my son says that the original Nintendo is a collector's item.  Let's not even bring up the entire original Atari game system collection that I gave away. Yes, yes, we had the entire collection...way back in the dark ages a toy store went out of business and I purchased their inventory at 90% off.

All water under the bridge.

I'm starting 2013 fresh.

Right off the bat I had to find a new usb car charger for my Magellan gps.  Apparently, the tip of the one I had broke off by some mysterious force although, the item was used in the manner in which it was intended.  I didn't want to mess around with trying to find the right one in the stores so I just ordered another one online. THEN I found an old charger from Insignia at home and it fit so instead of returning/cancelling my online order, I'm now going to have an extra usb gps car charger. 

Already minus $34. in 2013.

Now that we're more than 24 hours into 2013 I have to say that my only resolution/hope for the year is for it to be normal.  Since I was forced into widowhood I suppose I have established a sort of new normal. I still don't have my new identity firmly implanted into my brain. Life threw me a curve ball and I have to start over with a whole new perspective.  The facts are in...I'm living a single girls life and I have to take care of me.

While I make my way through another year I'll be churning out projects as I escape from reality.

As I contemplated my next projects for 2013 I felt that I needed a newer and bigger notions bag because the previous blue Avon cosmetic box bag was torn up inside. The bright pink toiletry bag from Ikea caught my eye and it's now my favored notions bag.

I'm a total wimp when it comes to after-Christmas bargain shopping. I dashed into the Dollar Tree store and found these plastic ball ornaments @5 for 50¢ and bought them all.  Not quite enough for an entire wreath so I'll just have to cut a smaller wire hanger...eventually, not this year because I'm so done with Christmas 2012.  It's over and packed up.

My niece went on vacation and she bought me this small bear with my name.  So cute. 

I became enamored with the crocodile stitch and experimented with it on something small.

It became a toy stuffed animal sleepy owl.  Silly but fun.

And of course, I had to regress further into silliness and made this Ugly Bunny Bag Charm.  I'm not actually carrying it around on my handbag, it's hanging on my inspiration board in my new bedroom. Yes, that's correct, I have an Inspiration Board on the wall of my bedroom. 

Cheers to 2013!

Just a quickie so the blog will have a January 1, 2013 posting.  I'm still in my pjs but will have to shower and change for I'm heading to the airport for an arrival.

The eleven vacation days went too fast and was busy, busy, busy. 

I mostly acted as if I was a young adult away from responsibilities and supervision and did exactly whatever I wanted to which included eating too much, drinking champagne, celebrating, staying up until wee hours of the morning on purpose then stayed in bed until mid-afternoon.  There was dancing, partying, no cooking...ate out all the time, went shopping and bought stuff...just because, got my haircut (trimmed) but not styled, did not do laundry, wash dishes or deep housecleaning AT ALL. 

Okay, I did vacuum because I bought furniture and redid my entire bedroom. It used to be a "couples" bedroom now it is a 100% "single lady's" bedroom.  I have never had my own bedroom, I always shared with a sibling and then I shared with my husband.

I saw three movies... Skyfall, The Guilt Trip and Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

I went to a wedding that was probably the common man's equivalent to the royal wedding of Prince William and Lady Catherine. It was such an emotionally beautiful ceremony and at various times during the service and banquet there wasn't a dry eye in the place.  The couple is so well loved and respected and the speeches, congratulatory messages, and video tributes were so touching.

I noticed that between the couple each of them had one widowed grandmother and no other surviving grandparent on either side however, the couple's parents are still living.  I was sad for a minute thinking that my daughter will not have her father to walk her down the aisle when that time comes and no father/daughter dance.   I'm not the "grandmothers" generation, I'm the "parents" generation. 

Well, I should've showered by now so I'll see ya later, alligator.

Hope your 2013 is off to a good start.

Yes!  I'm on eleven days of Christmas vacation.  I am going to enjoy every single minute of it starting last night at midnight.

Day One:   As soon as my head hit the pillow I slept through the entire night and woke up at 8:30 a.m.   Leisurely breakfast consisting of leftovers from last night's holiday dinner with my two sisters'-in-law and brother-in-law.   Mmmm, Penne Cabrera...delicious.

There will be blog silence during my vacation as I'm going to try to stay away from the computer. I doubt that I'll have the discipline but it's worth trying in order to spend quality time with people.

My wish for all of you is that you experience the peace, love and joy of Christ not only at this time of year but throughout all the seasons of your life.