Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

On Grief and Joy

03.05.25 | Life

30 Days of Thanks 2024 // Week 3

11.22.24 | Life

30 Days of Thanks 2024 // Week 2

11.15.24 | Life

by Leave a Comment

Paper Flower Mania

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: ,

Periodically, I get myself in way over my head with a project. Some readers here might remember how I managed to plan a full-blown wedding in just five months. Or that time when I worked my fingers literally raw making this tarot card for an art show. Or, most recently, when I spent every spare minute for six weeks making hoops for a craft show.

I know how to do it, folks. Step one: Take on giant projects, no questions asked. Step two: Work yourself into a frenzy and don’t stop ’til it’s done. Step three: Spend an excessive amount of time recouping from that mania. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Which brings me to my latest giant project! Last month I helped a good family friend decorate for her daughter’s baby shower. She’s so generous and thoughtful, so it goes without saying that she wanted this shower to be incredibly special.

That’s where I come in (not to toot my own horn). To take this pineapple-themed shower from 10/10 to 11/10, I was recruited to make a few tropical centerpieces to decorate the tables. Since I’m an OK flower arranger, I suggested that I fix up some centerpieces for the party. Unfortunately, the mom-to-be is allergic to flowers. Fortunately, I spent a lot of time last year learning how to make paper flowers. It was the perfect opportunity to get me back into my paper flower groove while also being useful. Win-win!

With some templates from Lia Griffith (and only a week to work once my supplies arrived!), I went to town making paper ginger flowers, heliconia, birds of paradise, pincushion proteas, Cala lilies and a whole mess of greens. I put my Cricut to work cutting out dozens of leaves, but when it came to the flowers, well, let’s just say it was all hands on deck!

In the midst of my paper flower frenzy.

In the end, I made nine centerpieces. There were a few late nights putting all these together, but that’s what reruns of Unsolved Mysteries are for!

After I finished up with this, my first big project of 2018, I basked in the glory of a job well done and binge watched plenty of 30 Rock. Now, after resting, it’s time for another big project. Like I said, lather, rinse, repeat.

 

by 2 Comments

Small Goals // February 2018

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

Let me say this: January was hard! I mostly felt like wearing my warmest socks, grabbing a good book and curling up in bed. It’s just that cold outside and I’m that far into Wisconsin’s favorite mood: seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal depression aside, let’s count up January’s goals.

  1. Help with a super fun baby shower. Done! A tropical themed shower was a real bright spot in the middle of gloomy January.
  2. Work on some non-embroidery crafts. Done. I made a mess of paper flowers for that shower!
  3. Get odds and ends listed on Etsy. Nope. And I have no good reason!
  4. Make a few soups. Like I said in my original goals post, I’m not a huge soup person. So after my first batch of chicken wild rice soup, I was souped out (although this recipe was really really good). I’ll give myself a half point here.
  5. Get back into good routines. I’m going to give myself half a point on this one, because I only stuck with it for a few weeks. Having the flu throws a wrench in most plans, but especially those that require food and being in public (the gym).

3/5. I’m not too miffed by this. I’m starting to think about January as more of an incubation period than a fresh start. Since it’s so cold, there’s nothing better to do than think about the future and make a few plans.

Which is what I aim to do in February. I had all of January to sit and think, so now it’s time to start planning things and even taking a little action. So here are my goals for this month:

  1. Plan some sort of getaway. Michael and I had originally planned on visiting some friends out west this spring, but unfortunately the stars (and schedules) didn’t align. Making our way out to SLC is postponed, and I’m super disappointed. I’m thinking if I can plan a small, affordable trip (even just day trips) for the near future, that might help me feel a bit better about this indefinite delay.
  2. Declutter our bedroom and/or den. These two spaces in our home are the most clutter-prone by far. The den is where I prep all my embroidery projects, so 90% of the time the ironing board is out and fabric is spilling onto the floor. Our bedroom is also chronically cluttered with clothes. I’m hoping to get one of these spaces cleaned up so our home can feel a bit more zen.
  3. Sign up for another fix from Stitch Fix. My first box was amazing, the second was not. But I’ve got $25 in credit that I may as well use to get me through these winter doldrums.
  4. Make a mood board for a bathroom revamp. Our bathroom needs repairs and updating pretty badly. It’s still 1962 in there (but not in the fun way). Last year at this time I bought a ton of pretty bathroom stuff plus a new vanity to get going on the project. Unfortunately, it was a bigger undertaking that I initially thought so it got put on the back burner while we got our basement in order. I think after a year, this project needs to get some liftoff.
  5. Get into a cooking routine that works. I cook most evenings when Michael is home. This semester, though, he’s got evening classes four nights a week, meaning that regular routine is about to be obsolete. I need to start thinking of ways I can prep easy-to-reheat meals so we can eat on our different schedules.

Well, that’s it for me in February! I’ve got some serious goals, but I’ve got a few fun things peppered in my calendar to break it all up (brunches, book clubs and everything #basic). What do you have going this month?

by Leave a Comment

The Mini Crafty Fair

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: , , , ,

I planned on writing this post immediately following the Mini Crafty Fair (that was all the way back on December 16!). But I’m glad I waited a bit to give myself a little perspective on the whole business of things. Also this is my third recap in a week. You sick of them yet?

But let’s start at the beginning! Back in December, I set up my first-ever booth at the Goodman Community Center in Madison for the Mini Crafty Fair. I’d been applying to fairs for a few months (after deciding to act on a longtime goal) and I was thrilled to set up shop with the Crafty Fair. It was a pretty chaotic ride, but I’m thrilled I did it. Here’s how the whole journey went:

The Days Before

Leading up to the big day, I was an absolute wreck. And by “leading up” I mean at least the three weeks prior. I was stressed to the max about hitting an arbitrary goal I set for myself. You see, I wanted to create at least 50 hoops to take with me and I was going to get to that number or die trying. While I sacrificed a lot of time and shed quite a few tears, I made it!

The Setup

During my extended panic period, I didn’t have much time to worry about my display. I had been looking for ideas online and was coming up empty. Instead of panicking about not having the most creative setup, I trusted my gut and drew up a pretty simple plan.

My dad, God bless him, made me two easels for displaying hoops. With those, I had a pretty good scaffolding for my setup. I just filled it in with a simple runner that I sewed, a felt letter board (#basiccraftingbitch) and some twinkle lights that I impulse bought at Target.

For how little time I put into planning the table (though, don’t get me wrong, I still put in some time). I was thrilled with how it turned out! It was pretty minimal, but it was easy to set up, easy to shop (hopefully) and a total breeze to disassemble.

The Fair Itself

The day-of, I was lucky enough to have the help of my mom. She picked me up at the crack of dawn (OK, just 7:45am) and drove me all they way out to Madison and helped me set up my table.

Since my booth wasn’t that elaborate, it took only a few minutes to set up and we had plenty of time to see what a lot of the other crafters were up to (and even buy a few things ourselves, like this adorable Old Fashioned ornament!).

The fair opened at 10:00 and I was lucky enough to get a sale in the first ten minutes! A sweet girl picked up a little blerg hoop and I was officially in business! Throughout the morning, I sold a few of my favorite pieces off to really great ladies and that really put me in a good mood. Well, that and being visited by my sisters, aunts, husband, mother-in-law and my oldest friend. Special guests are always welcome!

Admittedly, I kind of got down on myself for the last hour of the fair. I had made a handful of sales, but didn’t really make the splash I was hoping. Maybe my references were a little too specific (that’s what my mom said, but I stand by all my You go, Glen Coco! hoops); more likely, my expectations were way too high. Mostly I came to the uncomfortable conclusion that I spent so much of my free time making an absurd amount of hoops, and in the end, a lot of that work wasn’t necessary.

But I’m not going to get down on myself about that now, because at the end of the day, I set a goal for myself and I achieved it! Plus, if I decide to do another fair in the future, I’ve got a little experience under my belt!

The Cherry On Top

After a long day of hoop hawking, my family was sweet enough to indulge me at the Old Fashioned on the Capitol square. This place is one of my favorite restaurants, and they’re the only bar I know of (south of Wausau, at least) that sells brandy slushes. So I got to sip on one of those and enjoyed some beer cheese soup, onion rings and a prime rib sandwich. It was a good way to wrap up the day and it felt like a great kick-off to the holidays.

At the end of the day, this was a HUGE learning experience for me. And I sort of have the itch to do another!

by Leave a Comment

From Fool to Problem Solver // Reflecting on 2017

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: , ,

I already kicked off 2018 with my new Small Goals post, but I realized I put the cart before the horse a little bit – 2017 is over but it deserves a recap. So here’s my obligatory blogger recap of 2017. Cheers!

• • •

OK, let’s start at the start. When 2017 started, collectively we weren’t in a good place. Donald Trump somehow became president. Every one I knew was in a constant state of stress and panic. The whole situation had me feeling tense and garbage-y every day. Of course Donald Trump is still president, but I’m coping slightly better with this.

But on a personal level, 2017 didn’t start off so hot either. I was working at a job that was, well, not a great fit for me. I’d go to bed thinking I don’t want to go to work tomorrow and I’d wake up thinking OMG I definitely do not want to go to work today. And I realized after working a lot of jobs that once that feeling sets in, it’s really hard to shake it.

There were other things, of course. My family had gone though a major upheaval in 2016 (and those effects were still lingering at the beginning of 2017). I realized that never working out was a bad idea. I knew that my house had some serious foundation issues. I was feeling creatively restless. Overall, I was really frustrated with my situation.

Bearing all this in mind, I realized that I had to rely on myself to make some changes. This is a really difficult thing to do – to just generally change up miserable situations – but my parents (especially my mom) raised me to be a problem solver. I saw some major problems in my life and I had to find a way to fix them. Cue this gif:

via GIPHY

But you know the saying, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I wasn’t suddenly going to find a new job, become creatively fulfilled, have a structurally sound home, a perfect family and a buff bod overnight.

But I could work on making myself happier. So I started small by treating myself to something I knew would give me some satisfaction: I took a tarot class. I wrote about it here, and it really shaped my entire year. Truly. The card I drew that night, the Fool, symbolizes new starts though sometimes in unknown directions. I placed a lot of faith in that card – that my new direction (hopefully a creative one!) would become apparent – and I tried to remain patient as that path became more obvious.

Days later, the Universe served up something amazing: a call for artists for a tarot-themed art show in Madison. Like I said in the post at the time, holy shit. Except now I mean it ten times more because that show gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get serious about embroidery.

I spent 40 hours making my card for the show. And hot off that finger-numbing exercise, I opened up Kaminski Handicraft. This is a jewel in the crown for 2017 because it is a dream long postponed, and finally come to life. By the end of the year, I beat my personal sales goal for the year! I made 22 online sales and almost as many IRL.

For most of the spring and summer, Kaminski Handicraft pulled me through. Embroidery gave me something to think about while I was at work (and something to do over lunch hour), it was something to tide me over when I was really disappointed with where I was at. However, even with embroidery to occupy my mind, I was in a bad space. I desperately started searching. I felt like Charlie Kelly.

via GIPHY

One evening while at dinner with a friend, I was discussing job prospects. I had zero at the time, but mentioned a position I applied for months prior that still looked to be unfilled. As fate would have it, one of her good friends worked for the company. She said that she’d get in contact with her and give her my name. By the next day, Taste of Home contacted me for an interview. A few weeks after that, I got offered the job. I cried.

Besides these two major accomplishments/problem solves for the year, I accomplished a lot of other tasks. I participated in the Women’s March with my friend Kellie, I signed up with a gym and started weight lifting classes (I know!), I got married to Michael again, we got our basement fixed, I tried some adventurous bakes at home (and for Taste of Home), I participated in my first-ever craft fair and I blogged here more than ever (35 times to be exact!).

• • •

I don’t write this to brag or to be overly proud. I write this because 12 months ago, I was the Fool. I had no idea where I was going, no idea what to do, but with a little problem solving, hard work and help from the Universe, I managed to reset my course.

I sincerely wish you all a healthy, happy and satisfying 2018. Hoping it’s even better than 2017!

by Leave a Comment

The Hermit // A Holiday 2017 Recap

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: , , ,

This past year, I made it a goal of mine to learn more about tarot. While I didn’t practice with my deck as much as I planned, I definitely made some headway in immersing myself a little more fully in the cards’ meanings and just general metaphysical culture.

One of my greatest (and most helpful finds) of the year was the podcast Tarot for the Wild Soul. I tap into this podcast at the beginning of each month to help me meditate on a few themes for the coming weeks. In December the host, Lindsay Mack, made mention of the Hermit card and how it would come into play throughout the month.

When I first gave this a listen, I was wary of that card. Not because the Hermit is bad in anyway, but it represents solitude or a need to turn inward. And at that time, I was envisioning a fun and boisterous holiday with lots of parties and craft nights, not some quiet, introverted season.

But I found out really quickly in December that pushing myself too hard and forcing myself to do too much was putting me in a really bad space mentally. So from that point forward, I gave myself permission to take the space I needed.

Of course there were still busy days, like working my first craft fair(!) and hosting our annual Christmas party (where most of these great snaps are from!), but days without events were quiet and relaxing. I spent my days at work, pushing through end-of-year projects, and at night I watched Christmas movies and did a little crafting.

But the embodiment of this Hermit holiday really came once Christmas Day came to a close. Every Christmas evening, we head back to our house early and open gifts together under the tree. Some years, ducking out of the party is hard to do, but this year it wasn’t so difficult to tear ourselves away. We got home around 8:30, changed into pajamas and gave one another (and the cats) gifts. It gave us a chance to enjoy each other’s company and all the really magical Christmas feelings.

I carried this Hermit vibe into the rest of the week as well. For the first time since college, I got a winter break! My employer shuts up its offices between Christmas and New Year and being home those extra days was a huge huge treat. Typically I’d be tempted to fill those bonus days with lots of activities and long to-do lists, but instead Michael and I settled into a nice routine of naps, Netflix and snacks. And by not switching into work or do mode right away, we helped stretch the holiday spirit out a little longer (but maybe it was all the Christmas Bob’s Burgers episodes we watched).

Now, work is back in session and I have to emerge from my Hermit hideout, but season filled with solitude, quiet and relaxation did me a world of good, and I’m ready to take on 2018!

by Leave a Comment

Small Goals // January 2018

Filed Under: Life

This post really crept on me! I had been enjoying a little Christmas break free from responsibilities and blogging (it was heaven!). But before we get into 2018, let’s see how I did the last month of 2017.
  1. Make it through my first craft fair.  Done! I have a recap of this planned for any interested parties.
  2. Make time for Christmas crafts I love. Not so much. After doing the whole craft fair thing, I was mostly just in the mood to chill out. And I’m OK with that!
  3. Get baking. Done. While I didn’t bake as much as I planned, I still knocked out a few cookies, a pie and a few apps.
  4. Watch 3+ Christmas movies. Done. Home Alone, White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut and How the Grinch Stole Christmas all helped me feel that holiday spirit.
  5. Get rid of a bag of clothes/books/miscellany every week. Check! Instead of purging a bag per week, I did one large drop-off at my local Goodwill, which definitely equated to about four bags worth. Plus, I passed my large light table onto a friend.

4/5. December was super stressful, so I’m happy with four goals down.

Now onto 2018. I’m not a huge New Year’s resolution person. And honestly, after pushing so hard to get through the holidays, I feel like I need a little break (even though I have a few projects planned). Here’s what I’m thinking for January.

  1. Help with a super fun baby shower. A family friend is having a little girl this year! I’m helping her mom with some of the decorations for this tropical-themed shower and I’m excited to work on these party projects!
  2. Work on some non-embroidery crafts. During my holiday break, I pretty much just binged a bunch of British TV on Netflix. But I found myself wanting to be a little productive too. On my last day of vacation I picked up an old cross stitch and had a lot of fun. So more of that!
  3. Get odds and ends listed on Etsy. I made a lot of inventory for the Crafty Fair, and a lot of that inventory included new designs. It’s time to get those on Etsy!
  4. Make a few soups. It’s been super cold in Milwaukee lately (like 0ºF cold!). While I’m not typically a soup gal, I’ve had a craving for some good warming dishes.
  5. Get back into good routines. When it comes to routines, I give myself a pass during the holidays – it’s just too hectic. But now with an open schedule, it’s time for regular grocery shopping, weekly dinners with my mom and more classes at the gym.

Well, that’s it for me! What are you planning for 2018?

by Leave a Comment

Jingle Like a Kringle // My Favorite Christmas Albums

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: , ,

When it comes to playing the best Christmas jams, I consider myself an expert. I’m all in on nostalgic songs like “White Christmas,” but I also know a good new calol when I hear one, like Sia’s latest “Santa’s Coming for Us” (which I love). New or old, I think I have the best Christmas playlist around. Here are some of my favorite albums.

Christmas Party by She & Him

A DIY blogger who wishes she looked good with bangs is a She & Him fan? Shocking. The duo’s second Christmas album is an absolute must for the holidays (I could take or leave their first holiday effort) whether you watch New Girl or not. This LP is packed with fun and less common Christmas tracks. “Must Be Santa” is probably my favorite for it’s polka style, but “The Coldest Night of the Year” makes me want to curl up by the fire. Overall, it’s heartwarming and fun like the holiday itself.

It’s a Holiday Soul Party by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

I have a feeling that this album will one day be considered a classic. It’s filled with holiday soul as the name implies and I love the arrangements on some of the traditional Christmas tunes like “Funky Little Drummer Boy.” It’s just such a good, good album, though it saddens me that Jones isn’t around to spread a little more cheer and funky vibes.

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector by The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love and more

Phil Spector aside, this is the best Christmas album you can get your hands on. The tracks are quintessential Christmas. I mean, who doesn’t love Darlene Love’s “Baby, Please Come Home?” I’m going to say it: “Baby, Please Come Home” is the best Christmas song. Yes, better than Mariah’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

The Beach Boys Christmas Album by The Beach Boys

My husband is likely the biggest Beach Boys fans around, so it stands to reason that this album gets it’s fair share of air time at our house. It’s filled with hits like “Little Saint Nick,” but also a few moody tracks like “Blue Christmas” and “We Three Kings.” I’m partial to the latter – it’s probably the spookiest Christmas song out there.

Honorable Mention: It’s My Favorite Time of Year by Phase II

Back in 1997, Boston Store (and it’s sister store Carson Pirie Scott) sold Christmas CDs at their registers. I know what you’re thinking: those generic store-branded albums are trash. And you’d be right, except for this one. My mom impulse bought this CD 20 years ago and it’s been on a regular holiday rotation since. I don’t know what it is about this CD, but it feels like home.

• • •

If you have any Christmas music recommendations, I’d love to hear them! I love expanding this part of my music collection.

 

by Leave a Comment

Holiday Burnout Strikes Early // How to Make It Through

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: ,

I was about to write a post all about balance during the holiday season and how I was getting so much better at juggling all the cheer along with the stress, and how you too could follow my simple strategies to become head elf. But then I made it a whopping six days into December and had a Christmastime meltdown. So I’m obviously no expert.

Instead of giving you tips on how to plan your month, I’m going to give you one piece of advice that I should have been heeding this whole time: check in with yourself.

Check in with how you’re feeling about the month ahead, the plans you’d like to make and what you’ve got to accomplish. And, most importantly, keep checking in with yourself to make sure that you’re not on the fast track to holiday burnout just so you can complete your Christmas bucket list.

And that’s where I was on December 6, having a serious bout of anxiety over a can of poppy seed pie filling. My moment of near-tears was not about poppy seeds, of course, but just my holiday stress coming to a head. I was behind on my stitching goals, I had a kitchen to clean and I had to make and photograph potica for work – a recipe that I’ve made before, but was incredibly nervous about sharing. It was just a lot.

So when I came home, I asked myself what I needed to bring myself back. It wasn’t stopping at another grocery store for poppy seeds. It wasn’t sitting down and stitching. Instead, I gave myself permission to just have a lazy night. I put on some pajamas, wrapped a few presents and watched some Food Network. And that’s what I needed – just a short break so I could regroup and come back refreshed the next morning.

So, take it from me, the girl crying in a Piggly Wiggly, that taking some time to figure out what you need personally (not just what you need to accomplish), is absolutely necessary for making it through the holidays. Whether it’s more plans with friends or more cozy days in, be sure to to take the kind of time you need to feel your merriest and brightest.

by Leave a Comment

Keeping Your Cats Safe (and Yourself Sane) at Christmas

Filed Under: Cabin Tagged With: ,

If I love two things in this world, it’s my cats and Christmas (OK, OK, and my husband and family). But I recognize that the two aren’t always compatible. I mean, every cat guardian has suffered at the hands of a kitty who got caught in the tree. So in efforts to make the holiday season a little easier on your cat (and you), I’ve got a few tips from personal experience on how to keep your kits (and, to a lesser extent, your dogs, rabbits and parakeets) safe.

  1. Set up a basecamp. I can’t stress this one enough. The holidays are crazy stressful even for the most social of cats. I find it best to set up a place as far away from company as possible for the cats to retreat to. That means I fluff up the kitties’ favorite blankets on our bed and keep the bedroom door cracked open for them to have some alone time if they need it. For Zara, our tabby that is not really a big fan of strangers, I try and encourage her to hang out in our room before the party even starts.
  2. Prep your guests. On that same note, let your guests know if you’ve got a finicky feline. I’ve got a script that I use all the time: Zara is a cranky cat. Please, just ignore her. This will help preserve your cat the stress of having visitors go searching for them all the damn time.
  3. No plants. Pretty much all the Christmas-y plants are toxic to cats, dogs, rabbits, birds – pretty much any critter. Poinsettias, mistletoe and holly are all bad news for pets and their intestinal track. As for pine trees, they’re not that great for your pets either. The needles are super hard to digest, and whatever plant compounds are in them can lead to some serious stomach upset. Also, tree water: It likely has some pesticides from the tree (and sap) in it. Try to keep that covered. While I’ve never run into tree-eating issues with my cats, it’s probably best to monitor how your pet interacts with the tree (and cross your fingers that they aren’t too curious).
  4. Just say no to ribbon. Ribbon, string, twine, tinsel – you name it and our cats love to chew on it. While they’ve never ingested any of these things, you can never be too safe (it can get pretty gnarly if your cat swallows ribbon). I’ve cut down on my ribbon usage and I’m sure to keep it any festooned gifts and garlands put away or far out of their reach.
  5. No people food. We don’t feed our cats much people food. Around the holidays, though, it can be tempting to want to share a little something special with your pet. I’d draw the line at a small, skin-free piece of turkey or ham. Any greasy foods can cause stomach upset (and its friends vomiting and diarrhea), and other foods – raisins, currants, chocolate, onions – are straight-up poisonous.
  6. Have updated tags. There’s a lot of hustle and bustle around the holidays with people coming and going. Visitors that aren’t used to pets in the house might not be as mindful of the door as you, so your cat (or dog) could slip out by accident. In case, I’d make sure their tags have your current contact information on them (and make sure those kitty collars are break-away!).
  7. Avoid the vet. Not in general of course, just right before Christmas and New Year’s. A few years ago, I took my cat to the vet a few days before Christmas for her checkup and vaccinations. That year she had a really terrible reaction to the shots, lost a lot of weight and became really lethargic. I was on the phone with the vet on Christmas Eve begging to bring her in. Luckily, I was able to get her an appointment and pumped with some fluids (and Christmas was saved!). To avoid anything like this happening, I say just push that appointment up to the first part of December or postpone until January. You never know.

OK, I’m off my cat lady soap box! Now go enjoy the holidays with your pets. And if you need a DIY gift idea for your kitties, I’ve got one!

by 5 Comments

Small Goals // December 2017

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

I’m back with some new goals for this month (lots of holiday-related goals to come!), but first let’s see how I did in November.

  1. Finish half my Christmas shopping. Check! I checked a few people off my list, and I feel really good to have that weight off my shoulders as I go into December.
  2. Have a cozy Black Friday in. Check? Well, I didn’t leave the house if that makes it cozy. I did spend a lot of the day deep cleaning before we put up Christmas decorations, though.
  3. Unplug a bit. Done. November 1, I said goodbye to Facebook on my phone and set up some do not disturb times. I’m not sure if it was a drastic change, but that’s OK! Experimenting with this was a good idea.
  4. (Lightly) rebrand Kaminski Handicraft. I’m going to check this one off my list. I updated the colors used in my Etsy header and that’s about all I’ve got time for at the moment. I’ll be calling in a favor from a designer friend come the new year.
  5. Make 5+ new designs for Kaminski Handicraft. Done! I haven’t really kept up with exact numbers, but I’ve made some serious progress.

5/5. November went by fast, so I’m thrilled that I kept on track with these goals! For this coming month I’ll be focusing a lot on crafting and the holidays – ’tis the season!

  1. Make it through my first craft fair. I’ll be at the Mini Crafty Fair Saturday, December 16 in Madison. It’s my first one ever! Let’s see if I can get enough inventory piled up, create a half decent display and not feel entirely overwhelmed!
  2. Make time for Christmas crafts I love. Kaminski Handicraft is closing up for the holidays about mid-month. This is to give myself a little time to relax and enjoy sillier seasonal crafts, like these plastic canvas houses.
  3. Get baking. I love making Christmas cookies. It’s seriously one of my greatest joys to take a day off from work and bake all day around the holidays. I might have to adjust my normal baking lineup, though, so we don’t end up eating cookies until February. That or loosen up my (almost) no cookies before Christmas policy.
  4. Watch 3+ Christmas movies. I just watched The Holiday for the first time last week and now I’m craving all the Christmas movies. I’ve made a short list of new-to-me flicks to check out, like Christmas in Connecticut and Home Alone (I KNOW!) and some time-tested classics like White Christmas.
  5. Get rid of a bag of clothes/books/miscellany every week. I’ve been trying to cut down on stuff lately just to make my home feel a little less congested and cluttered (not that it’s bad, but you know).

Got any small goals for December? I’d love to hear about them!