You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. — C.S. Lewis

The beginning of a new year can feel both hopeful and also somewhat intimidating.  Hopeful in that it brings the opportunity of twelve new months yet to be lived.  Somewhat intimidating in that there are twelve months ahead to be filled with purpose and experiences and adventure and new things and new people.  Looking at it like that is a recipe for getting overwhelmed by possibility or for enhancing fears of wasting time not pursuing every worthwhile opportunity.  Regardless of hope or worry, a new year and a new decade are upon us.  Might as well embrace them and be mindful of taking things as they come since I'm unsure fretting serves anyone's ambitions, however large or small.

On the topic of ambitions, one of mine (not going to call it a resolution) is to spend more time at the spot in the above photo.  This is what lives directly in front of me when I sit at the desk in my craft room.  Upon the desk are to do lists, an old cheese box full of beautiful ribbon, a new watercolor paint set gifted by my husband for Christmas, a silver metal box with drawers full of bric-a-brac, a bowl overflowing with business cards and stickers, loads of beads waiting to become jewelry, and a few unfinished projects.  The windowsill is home to an assortment of memories - photos of the women in my immediate family, clay things I've made, a felted birdie from a gift shop in Montana, a plastic cow toy from a great friend in Austria, a Meadowlark trivet given to me by an old boss, garage sale finds from a few different states, dried roses from an anniversary bouquet, and so on.  The arrangement on the windowsill changes from time to time, but ultimately it's a display of mementos.  They simply make me happy as would spending more time at this desk creating things.

Part of my fabric hoard, awaiting a well-oiled sewing machine and my imagination.

Jewelry seems to be on the back-burner these days as I use my beads for other things like these dangly suncatcher-type things and embellished paper ornaments.  Any excuse to rummage through my stash of beads and paper...  

Now that all things Christmas have been put away, this little up-cycled cutie resides on our living room mantle.  We found him at a craft show in November, and his maker has inspired me to learn embroidery.  We'll see how that goes.