Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year, and where I've been...

Oh me, Oh my!!

Hellooooo everyone....is anybody still out there??????????

If so, I've got a great announcement for you: Happy New Year! I am back!

I think the last time I posted was sometime in May.  At that time I was working on sewing a whole month of tops for summer, yet did not factor in that summer vacation was close at hand for my two children.  Before I knew it, I got sucked into a summer of fun, and it was August.  My son started Kindergarten, and my daughter went back to preschool, but I became busy with other things...(like PTA, friends, and volunteering).

I kept thinking back to my unkempt blog, and asking myself if it was time to hang it up for good. Whenever I thought for sure it was the end, I just couldn't do it.  I love this little nook of cyberspace!!  I have met a lot of  wonderful people, and been able to share a lot of the things I love through this blog.

So I am back, but with a new plan (more on that later). In the meantime, here are some of the things you have missed in the months I've been away:

First, I went natural!!!!

For those of you that do not understand, I will quickly explain.  Since around the age of 12, I have always chemically processed my hair to change the texture from curly to straight.  This process is called relaxing your hair.  Once you relax, you can't go back.  You permanently change your hair texture, and lose the texture you had before, until your new growth grows in.

In December 2011 I decided to begin growing out my processed hair, and "transition" to my natural texture via rollersets.  It was a long process, but I grew my hair for a year, and cut all the processed hair off Nov. 2nd, 2012!!


Even though I planned and prepared for this big day, I was still shocked to see that I had CURLS--tight, springy, loopy curls!!  After an almost lifetime of straight hair, I had to learn to take care of what God had given me.  I have since learned that curls have a mind of their own!  Somedays I have the most fabulous hair day ever, and then other days my curls seem like they are fighting one another!


However, I have never been more pleased with my decision.  People go natural for different reasons, but I did it to accept myself, and teach my daughter and son to accept their curls.  I love when my daughter looks at me and says, "Look mom, we are both curly!"  Yes, indeed we are, and it is marvelous!!!

Second, I ran a 5K!!!!

Now this might not be a big deal to some people, and that is ok.  But to me, it was huge.  You see, I am not a runner.  I have never been, and never thought I would be.  I would look at runners, admire their physique and drive, but just did not see myself as one to ever do anything like that.  I would rather have fun and do Zumba instead.  I definitely wasn't trying to do something as monotonous as running...

That was until I met a friend who challenged me to see things differently.  She had signed up for a 5K, and I told her I would train with her (only wanting to be a supportive friend, since I worked out already).  Week after week we jogged together, building up stamina and endurance until I started to experience runner's euphoria.  All the adrenaline and "feel good" hormones your body releases when you run began to change my mind about the whole thing.  In fact, I now loved to run!!  Ha, ha!  I love to run!!

And so it only seemed natural to run the 5K with my friend.  So I did.  I finished with a time of  just under 44 minutes, and I am training for another 5K this year.  I tend to hit my "wall" around mile 2.3, and pushing past that feeling to cross the finish line made me feel like I could do ANYTHING! I trained for the race, but I had to pray to get through it!  Here is a photo of us on the race day:


Third, I learned to KNIT! 

I will be showing you pictures of the beginner items I have knitted a little later on, but yes, I am now a knitter!  As my husband told me once I got the hang of it, "Okay, Vanessa, now all you need is a rocking chair!"  

True, but knitting is not only for grandma's anymore.  I have found such joy and freedom in being able to start a project and take it with me so I can knit during down time. All of those short bursts of knitting come together nicely with the finished project.  Being able to pick up and go, and not deal with a lot of equipment is something I can't do with sewing but I have grown to love with knitting.

So that has been some of the things that have happened in my absence.  This brings me to my sewing plan for the year of 2013: take it easy!!

I was freaking myself out trying to think of the next new sewing technique to learn, or finding the next sewing item that would fit well with my wardrobe, or deciding what Christmas dress to make for my daughter, etc, etc. Basically, I was turning my love of sewing and blogging into a job.  Yes, a job!  It was no longer a place of love and creation, but instead, a time where I got annoyed and frustrated.  I will not do that anymore.  Even if I only finish one amazing garment every few months, that is ok with me, as long as I am enjoying the process.  Life is too short to not have joy.  And I choose joy.

I will still be posting about things in my life, though I am not sure how much will be sewing and how much will be other things.  I am honored for the people that would still like to read my blog and see my journey.  So, in essence, this is my effort to find an effective balance for the year of 2013.

Thank you so much for reading this!  I wish you all the best in this New Year, and I hope there are a lot of exciting things in store for everyone!

Stay sew-filled!

3 comments:

  1. Happy New Year and welcome back. Your hair looks beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome back to blogging!
    Your hair looks great!
    Congrats on running your 5k!!
    And also congrats on choosing joy!! :) It's a great choice!

    ReplyDelete

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