Top of '23: Highlights

 

There are always some things we think of each year that define it for us, and this is that list for me. Some of these are crafting adjacent, and some are not at all, but all of these together make the highlights that stand out for me.

• Going carnivore and losing weight - This was a huge part of my 2023 and it has revolutionized the way I look at food and health. I feel weird saying this right now because I got a bug over Christmas, lol, but this is the healthiest I've felt almost ever. I feel like I've cracked the code for feeling great and losing weight effortlessly without feeling hungry or counting anything. I lost the weight that I had regained last year and I'm trying for a bit more still. I probably will not be 100% ketovore/carnivore forever, but I will certainly keep a lot of the eating habits of this time for the rest of my life. Protein is what you need! Don't worry about the other stuff. In this age with literally poisoned and fake food, meat is the healthiest option you can eat.

• Getting back into making clothes! - I am so so happy that I finally allowed myself to make clothes again. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started making things again and now I'm back in the game completely. I'm constantly planning new makes and just wish I had more uninterrupted time to make them all.

• Embracing my love of linen - This was another mental hurdle to jump. I love linen. I love wearing it, I love the incredible properties it has for your health and whatnot. Magical stuff, linen. But I never experience sticker shock like I do when I'm looking at linen fabric. I'm generally very cheap, but cheap in the sense that I try to get the good quality stuff for as inexpensive as possible, not cheap meaning I buy all polyester. This year I decided to just get over the cost and embrace the fact that linen is so beneficial and it lasts a long time. I found a great source for nice quality linen on the cheap (fabrics-store.com) and I took advantage of their cycle of 38% off sales on various types of linen. I've been incredibly happy with all the linens I've bought from them and I while I'm still paying more per yard than I would ever usually consider, it's quite a bit less than if I go to Joann or The Sewing Studio or really anywhere else even online, so I feel good with that. I'm happy to have the ability to incorporate more of this incredible natural fiber into my life and I'm glad that I got over the cost as a barrier.

• Going back to therapy - Sometimes we just need someone to talk things out with. I've been in and out of therapy over the years and this past few years without it had really built up. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go back this summer. 

• Trying new and intimidating crafty things - I'm a fairly adventurous crafter in general, but sometimes I get stuck in ruts and just do the same old thing because it takes less brain power. This year, I finally got a handle on my knitting machines, I made a corset, tried out hand knitting, learned machine embroidery, jumped into Irish crochet. I worked with lace weight yarn, which I've always sworn off before. I upsized a vintage pattern for the first time. On the surface, the things I made don't seem out of the ordinary, but in truth I was pretty brave in the things I tried and I'm pretty proud of that. I hope to expand further into some of these things next year and take on a few more as well.