First Year Part 3: Urban Homesteading

So, I'm not quite an urban homesteader yet. Learning how to grow my own food and making clothes is definitely a good start but last year, I wanted to learn how to can and make soap.  Well, that didn't happen.  These activities are still on the list and I hope after starting a real garden this spring, I'll be able to actually grow a large enough crop to can and pickle something. I'm still planning on making soap but whether I get to it this year or not, I don't know.
Anyway, the idea of urban homesteading has been an important goal for a while. I'm all about raising my own food and using what I grow/raise to make other useful everyday products. I definitely like the idea of recycling/reusing and reducing our waste in the whole homesteader scheme of things. One of the steps I took to start this journey was starting worm bins back in 2009. The worms at the time were the perfect method for composting my vegetable and paper waste. 

First Year Part 2: Dream Wardrobe + this Weekend

Last year when I started this blog, besides starting a garden, I also wanted a Dream Wardrobe.  I've been sewing clothes off and on for the last 15 years but in the last 3 years, it's been full on sewing for others.  It's been fun.  For a while after graduating from undergrad, I was super burnt out with clothing design and sewing all together but recently, especially as I've noticed that clothing quality and styles have changed and that nothing freaking fits me, I've become more interested in pattern making and sewing again.  Over the holiday break, I was actually able to start on a cape.  Here's what it looked like before:

Front

I had to take it apart and re-design the cape.  The boyfriend said it looked like a bag.  Here's what it looks like now...

Happy New Year's Eve & My First Year Part 1

It's been 1 year since I started this blog!!! I can't believe 2012 starts tomorrow!  It was a crazy year.  Lots of good things happened in the midst of bad things.  Overall, I think it was a pretty good year.  I went from being unemployed and financially stressed to being rehired by my old employer and not making a whole lot of money but enough to live comfortably in the South.  I went from crappy apartment living dealing with stupid drunk college students puking and fighting by the old apartment every weekend to renting a small house with a yard! The best thing of all was discovering gardening and that I didn't have a crusty, black thumb.  Gardening was my one solace in my time of stress and anxiety. Thanks Mother Nature! Anyway, in the beginning of the year, I started a Wish List. I definitely did not accomplish everything but I think I had a good start.  Here's a little recap at least Part 1 and what's going on this weekend as a new year begins....