Well that's Christmas over for another year. All the decorations are down and packed away in the shed. We said a fond farewell to our Christmas tree as we dismantled it and thanked it for making the cottage feel warm and festive for the last month. I dusted and polished while H1 hoovered and H2 lurked about in his bedroom, pretending to be too busy to help. As if.
Now everything looks a little bare, so as a New Year treat for myself and the house I always buy a few bunches of scented lilies to brighten up the place and remind us that Spring will come again. Their smell fills every room and makes us feel light, cheerful and positive. Perfect when it is pouring down outside.
So now we are on the cusp of a brand new year, full of hope and excitement and for me a little trepidation too. 2012 was such a fabulous year for us, especially since moving to the cottage, I am a little nervous as to whether 2013 will continue in the same vein. I do hope so.
I rarely make New Year Resolutions as I can't cope with the pressure and invariably I have broken them by January 2nd. Pathetic isn't it? However, this year I have decided to set myself a bit of a challenge, brought on by several different factors. As from tomorrow, I intend to purchase as many of my crafting supplies second-hand. Wow, big deal. Yes I know, it's not a huge thing to do and I have been thrifting for most of my life. I just feel I need to get back to it a bit more. My reasons are these:
- I need to preserve as much money from my dwindling savings as poss.
- I need to make some money to support my family.
- I want to preserve Planet Earth and keep it healthy for my children and because I like living on it.
- I love things that have had a life but can be loved and used again.
- It takes imagination to live a thrifty life.
- I think it could be fun!
I find I have been heavily influenced by my Christmas presents; Kirstie's Vintage Home and Granny Chic. I don't really want to fill my home with vintage items as I'm not that keen on the dark colours and hideous 70's wallpaper, but 'vintage' is just a gorgeous word for 'old' and if I love it and it is second-hand, that's fine by me. It won't be easy to ignore all the beautiful fresh fabrics out there and there will be times when I may fail dismally, but I will be honest with you if that happens and confess to the world. I want to use my finds to make new things or use them in a different way and maybe mix them up with modern fabrics from my (very small) collection. I want to make presents and cards in an imaginative way and learn new skills while I am at it. Talking of which...
I absolutely LOVE paper cutting! It is totally addictive but it does give me neck ache somewhat. I used the template from issue 2 of Homemaker magazine to make this heart. I have ordered a book on paper cutting so I can use this new found skill in the year ahead. I bought a diary yesterday that cost the princely sum of £1. Excellent, but very boring, so I gave it a bit of a spruce-up, Windy Island style!
Half an hour of easy fun, some glue and fabric scraps and voila! Most pleasing. Now I am off to find some less-than-gorgeous bath sheets that could be cut up and used as dishcloths and general kitchen cleaning cloths. Thank you Granny Chic! I wish you all a very happy, fun and crafty New Year! Love from Thrifty Windy Island Handmade. xxx
At last I have found a blog with by someone with the same lifestyle as myself, living the rural life on a budget who loves charity shops and crafting ( I do hope you also feels this describes you and I havn't been assumptious). I do enjoy reading blogs and finding inspiring idea's and have been quite obsessed by Cherry Manlove and Young House Love of recent times but am so glad I have stumbled upon Windy Island Handmade and there are a few reasons for that, I hope you don't mind me explaining. First off no adverts all over your site which leads me to believe you do this out of the love of sharing your life and ideas with others and not like other bloggers in that they get paid a massive salary to potray this whiter than white persona and perfect home life, I again hope this is not a assumption which you disagree with. It is very refreshing and for the 1st time ever I have signed up to follow your blog. I have been reading your backlog starting from the very beginning and found a lot of inspiration but in a realistic way and one that I can relate to and not feel as though I am failing in being the perfect homemaker as other blogs can do. The way you describe simple things like having dog hairs everywhere or describing your low moods simple makes it real unlike others. This was not supposed to be an attack on other homemakers blog's although it may seem that way but simple a massive thanks for being such a "real" breath of fresh air instead xxx
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