Assembled

I've finished the stitching. Running stitch paths and X marks the spot.

The other pages are here.

This is the cover.  The book is about maps and grids so I sewed a piece of plastic garden trellis onto the fabric.

I sewed round each of the pages on the sewing machine.  I stitched through all the pages to make the book.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice
 

One Little Word 2023

Continuing my search for my focus word for this year, I had another chat with Mary in Messenger. I also picked up on the idea in the video I shared in my last post about listening out for a word or words that repeatedly catch the attention.

Amazingly, the word {connect} kept cropping up.  One of the times was when I was watching a programme about Charlie Mackesy who wrote the The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.  Bear Grylls spoke about Charlie's sculptures showing connection and also said 'where there's connections there's always strength'.

 
I started thinking about connect and connections and then realised that I had chosen {connect} in 2017.  At the time, as I told you in my previous post, I was using Ali Edward's workshop, but had only got as far as March with it.   You can see how I got on, in these posts: January, February, March

I'm determined to do better this year.  To become more connected to my word!  More connected to my Creativity, to my Community, to my Well-being and to my Identity (which includes my faith).

There are several people in the One Little Word Facebook group with the same word.  I set up a subgroup for them all so that we can all be connected.  Good start for our word, I think.

I am not going to make a separate journal for my word as I did back in 2017.  I'm going to include it in my planner.

The week of December 26th to January 1st was in my 2022 planner and in the new one for 2023.  I didn't want to copy the 2022 page so I did this instead.

I went back to my box layout from 2022 and tweaked it for this year.  I've cut these boxes out and stuck them into my planner.

It takes quite a while to set up a new planner/journal but I am getting there.  Some of it was even ready for January 1st.

I did however manage to get the pages ready for this week.  I started with the pages that sassiecassieplans did on YouTube but deviated because I like more boxes than she does!

I've still got things to do in my planner for January but at least I've started.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice

Word of the Year or not!

Happy New Year

I have been choosing one word for the year for a while now.

Over the years since 2011 I've chosen
Restore, Focus, Present, Participate, Thirst, Purpose, Connect, Gratitude/Thankfulness, Commit/Commitment, Walk, Intentional and More.

Looking back, many of the same things to focus on each year, come up time and again whatever the focus word.  In fact when I look at what I wrote for {More}, I could use most of it again this year with one or two tweaks!

So what's the word for 2023?

At first it was going to be {self-care} but I like to find quotes and Bible verses and really didn't think think there'd be many appropriate scriptures.

Then I thought maybe I could use the word {Balance} - as in a well-balanced physical, spiritual and creative life.  Basically self-care then!!

Then I moved onto {Identity} because as I told you I have signed up for the Essence of Identity Course.  Also Identity in Christ is a key foundation of my church and is the current teaching series.

However!

I am also very aware that I get really excited about having a word for the year and do lots of work towards it.  See my posts for {More} and More Planner Stuff.    However by June if not April or May, my focus has waned and the last 3 months of the year I'm hard put to remember what my word is/was.

I was having a Facebook Messenger 'chat' with my friend Mary about it saying 'I have wondered about having a different word for each quarter'.    She suggested 'Maybe you could have an overarching word - self care or balance - for the year. Then have a focus word for each quarter that could line up with some of the areas you want to focus on'.

Mary told me that she had signed up for Ali Edward's One Little Word workshop because it provides structure.  I haven't done OLW since 2017 but thought I would check it out.  It has changed since I last took part.  Ali has brought in a team to help her and the participants.  So I thought I would give it a go.

This video is a helpful introduction if you've never chosen a focus word for the year.

As I write this in 2022 I'm still no nearer choosing a word although one or two are bubbling closer to the surface.  And it's 2023 tomorrow!

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice