2013 - A New Year - A New Set of Aims

So here we are, day one of a brand new year, and what an epic year it will be

 (being positively optimistic here)...

1. I am graduating in July (hopefully!)

2. I will be moving to Warwick to start my PGCE in September

3. I am going to rent my own place whilst doing my PGCE

Don't get me wrong, I have loved living with me housemates but I am so excited to get my own place!

So this time last year I set myself aims for the New Year. Aims rather than resolutions as this way I can easily track my progress and achieve something new this year! It worked really well so I am doing the same thing this year.

1. Cookbook Challenge 2013 - cook every recipe in my recipe book

I am thrilled to say a few people have said that they are joining me in this challenge, would love it if you did too! Hopefully, this will get me cooking some different types of recipes!

2. Bake and ice a set of sugar cookies every month

I did my first set of royal iced cookies in December, using piping bags, flooding etc. and am hooked! I aim to bake a themed batch every month for the year. January is a batch of New Year's Eve cookies that I will be featuring tomorrow!

3. Knit something to wear

And I don;t mean another scarf, I mean an actual garment - I have already started this one - amazingly - and am knitting a gilet style cardigan! It is chunky wool in shades of blue which I love!

4. Complete the 'Twas the Knits before Christmas' pattern book

I received this book for Christmas from one of my oldest friends who challenged me to knit the complete story by next Christmas - 22 pieces from stockings to 8 (all different) reindeer - the mother has slippers, Santa has mittens and let's not forget the presents! This one is going to keep me busy and if you see me knitting Santa Clause in July - don't worry - I haven't gone mad - its all part of the plan!

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5. Running

My aim here is fairly simple...get myself off the sofa and run twice a week. Overall, I want to average 60% 2-3 miles and 40% 3+ miles. I have a busy year coming up to fit this into, but I feel so much better after a run so I really want to stick to this one. I ran this morning so that's one run down!

6. Heron's Crafts - be more organised

I love posting on my blog and I have really been getting my head round it over the last year! This next year I would like to be more organised, planning and writing posts more in advance! I will be having a new schedule to start the new year which will be revealed over the next week! You will have to bear with me for the first couple of weeks of January as I have exams looming so there is not a lot of time for sewing projects!

So there you have it! 6 aims. 6 Things I want to achieve. As ever, I will track my progress on the blog and hopefully, this time next year I will be able to right a positive year round-up post! Wish me luck!

And all that is left is for me to say that I hope your year is full of love, laughter and joy! Enjoy it!

Love Rebecca

A look back at 2012

Here we are, the last day of the year. Really? I cannot really believe it! And what a year it has been! 

In July, I watched Basketball, Badminton, Diving and Athletics at the London 2012 Olympics. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Olympic park and soaking up the great spirit that was abound in Britain at the time.

 In August, my Mum and I spent a fantastic 4 days in New York, seeing the sights and going shopping. Going to New York has been a dream of mine for ages, and I did not expect it to happen in 2012 but I am so pleased it lived up to all my expectations. 

In September, we visited The Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London - The Making of Harry Potter - This was EPIC and encouraged me to reread all of the books (which I finished at 1am yesterday morning!)

In November, I turned 21 and my parents took my to Hartlepool and Durham for a relaxing weekend on the coast and visiting Durham Cathedral where some of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was filmed.

And finally, in December I found out that I had received a place at Warwick University to complete my PGCE - starting September 2013,

I have knitted, sewn, cooked and crafted more this year than possibly any year in my life!

On the first of January 2012, I set myself 6 goals and I am delighted to say that I have done pretty well!

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

Ok, So this was probably my weakest progress. I can crochet, as in I can do the stitches I just cannot start anything off - I don't know why but I just couldn't get my head round it! So, when December rolled round and I still didn't have a decoration, I had to improvise slightly! I crocheted a rectangle and then sewed into a snowman shape and sewed on features to complete it...It looks OK but I know that I didn't do it exactly properly! Crochet isn't something I really took to so I will be concentrating on challenging myself in my knitting instead.

2. Run 6 miles (my furthest at the moment is 3.94)

YES! Success here! I completed this aim in June! I am really pleased, although my running tapered off slightly in the second half of the year - getting up at 6am and not leaving the library until 5pm, I have struggled to fit in runs! Here's hoping Uni work calms down a bit this term!

3. Read 25 books

I adjusted this aim to 50 books and am DELIGHTED to say that I have just finished book number 51! That is nearly a book a week! I am officially back in love with books and would much rather curl up with a book than flick around on the TV. I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night....I turned my light off at 11pm with 20% of the book left to read but couldn't sleep, so I turned it back on and read until I had finished at 1am! It was such a great feeling - I love it when you cannot put a book down and have to keep reading it! I have read so many different types of books this year and have a nice stash on my Kindle to keep me going for the start of 2013

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries (we had a delicious Chinese meal to celebrate New Years Eve and I'm feeling inspired!)

Yes! I also managed to succeed here which is great! I will be updating my recipe page over the next few weeks so you can see all the recipes I made! Here is one of my favourites...

Chimichangas

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

This my 209th post of the year! I have posted several recipes, projects and bits of my life with you all and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I love blogging, I think without it, I would slip out of sewing and cooking and challenging myself creatively and there are things that I absolutely love doing so I am really glad to have this motivator here!

I launched three series over the year...

Wrote my first guest post over at Craftbotic

And branched out to Facebook and Twitter!

But more than all those I have actually made some great friends through blogging and hope that those friendships will continue!

Wow, when you put it all down like that, I have had a very busy year! I can hope that 2013 is as good!

I will be posting my aims for 2013 tomorrow!

Hope you all have a great night, make the most of your last day in 2012!

Love Rebecca

November Round Up

I am seriously feeling like someone has hit the fast forward button on my life right now...I don't know where time has gone and find it hard to believe that it already December! But there we go. It is. And November has been jam packed! Between the library, assignments, lectures and volunteering there's not been much breathing room! Weirdly I managed to plough through 6 books this month though! I have truly got the reading bug back and it does not matter anymore that I have spent 8 hours reading in the library - I cannot wait to come home and read some more of my book!

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

I need help here. Seriously! Can someone point me in the direction of an EASY to start crochet Christmas decoration - it is the starting off I am having issues with!

2. Run 6 miles

3. Read 25  50 books

source: amazon.co.uk

I started the month reading the Jungle Book and I didn't really enjoy it that much! It was fine and all but I wasn't desperate to read more! 

This contrasts to the Goddess Interrupted which took my 24 hours to read! Seriously! I love that feeling when you read a whole book in a day - it gives my such a high! More Greek mythology in modern day! A truly addictive read - part 2 in the series.

I also loved A Baby's Cry - written by a foster mum about her experience in fostering a newborn boy.

And finally, I started rereading the Harry Potter books. Read the first three in 10 days - I feel like I did when I first read them - I wish that I was walking the halls of Hogwarts, brushing shoulders with Harry Potter and casting spells before the AMAZING feasts that always make my mouth water! I am halfway through the fourth book already although I anticipate by progress to slow due to the size of the next 4 books!

What have you been reading this month? 

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries

I have really enjoyed the new recipes I have made this month - have you tried any out? They are all real winter warming recipes!

Winter Chilli and Potato Wedges

Pork and Apples

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

I posted 18 times this month! I like the consistency of a schedule - do you like this form a reader's perspective?

Also built a Facebook Page for Heron's Crafts! Head on over and like the page for updates!

Also...The Storybook Crafts Project continues!

Are you ready for the Christmas build-up to get into full swing?

Love Rebecca

October Round Up

Here we are again at the beginning of another month! It is now 10 months since I started my 2012 goals and I am pleased that I am making progress!

October's been pretty hectic getting back into University work and life in York - had a couple of 7am library stints to try and get my work done - I have this thing where I really struggle to work after dinner but if I wake up at 6am I can get a couple of hours of reading in before my 9am seminar - I get some strange looks but it works for me!

So...how did I do last month?

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

I joined my university's knitting society and someone taught me how to crochet! I am not great but I managed to produce a granny square. Don't laugh! It was my first attempt!

2. Run 6 miles

3. Read 25  50 books

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I really enjoyed reading this month. However, the first book seemed to take me ages and I wasn't overly impressed with 'The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals' - even the title is a mouthful! 

Anyway, once I had plodded through that I read 'Fracture' in a day. It was of those books that really grabbed me and I had to read and read to find out what happened. Based around two teenagers, Delaney falls into a frozen a lake and is rescued her friend only to find that she has defied normality be surviving. She is drawn to those around her who are dying... I could not put this down!

After this I read 'Catcher Caught' about a teenager who is obsessed with 'The Catcher in the Rye'. When he is diagnosed with leukaemia, his parents reject chemo in the hope of more wholesome treatments. This was a really interesting book. I really enjoyed it and it was another page turner!

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is coming into cinemas with Emma Watson and I wanted to read the book before seeing the film so I downloaded it and read it in less than a week! I really like the style of the book, written in one sided letters and am curious as to how this will translate into a movie.

Finally, I finished 'The Goddess test' last night. This book has been sat on my kindle for ages and I finally got round to reading it. I really enjoyed it! Mixing the real world with that of Greek Mythology, it truly was a page turner and the ending completely got me! You know when you read it, and then it is NOT what you expected at all so you have to go back and read it again! It was like that! Brilliant!

Also so happy having just found out that it is the first in a series...must restrain myself from downloading the others right now!

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries

This has been going well this month now I am back at University!

Australian Damper Bread and Squash soup

Sweet Potato Burgers

Sweet Potato Dahl

Brazilian Panquecas

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

This month saw me following my new blog schedule which is really working! I like sticking to a timetable as it helps me plan my posts and fit in all the work that I have to do! The Storybook Crafts Project is continuing this month and I will also be sharing some Christmas Present Ideas!

I have a lot to look forward to this month with my Birthday this weekend and starting the buildup to Christmas! 

What have you got planned for November?

Love Rebecca

September Round Up

First of October everyone! Really? I seriously don't know where time is going but then I probably say that every month! I am currently FULL of cold - joy of joys - trying any remedy going! So far I have had honey and cinnamon, chicken soup and even marshmallows ( I read somewhere (probably pinterest) that they were invented for sore throats - not sure if I believe it but they are so yummy I am not really complaining!)

Anyway, September. Wow. I can't believe its gone but lets see how I did!

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

Practised a few more stitches, still yet to create anything though!

2. Run 6 miles

3. Read 25  50 books

I really enjoyed 600 hours of Edward this month. Edward suffers from OCD and Aspergers and his life is turned upside down when a woman and her young son move in across the road (just not in the way you might assume!) I really enjoyed this book - read it in a day! As with the Declaration - started and finished it during one train journey to York - it was a really good book - made me think about the future (it is set in a future where we have cured everything, so people don't die. At all. So because of limited resources, that means no more children!)

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries

After a round-up of slow cooker meals, we reclaimed our kitchen from the builders meaning that I could carry on with my new recipes. I have been enjoying cooking recipes from PureWow recently like the Ratatouille Pizza and Bucatani Pomodoro

Ratatouille Pizza

Bucatani Pomodoro (source - PureWow)

Slow Cooker Meals Source(from American Family)

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

I have published 21 posts this month - may be my largest number yet! Hope you have enjoyed the launch of the Storybook Craft Project. I have some great Guest posts lined up over the next couple of months so stay tuned!

Have a great October! Hopefully you are off to a healthier start than me!

Love Rebecca

August Round Up

August is over...seriously?! I have felt a distinct lack of august-ness this year! Way too much rain for my liking - honestly, I was digging out my Autumnal clothes the other day! Still, I have had a very busy life this month and although my year goals may not have got a huge amount of attention, I have done a lot of other things!

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

I STARTED! I actually finally started to learn crochet. My mum and I sat down this afternoon and learnt chain, double crochet, treble and double treble. Here is my first attempt at those stitches....

Next job is a Granny Square!


2. Run 6 miles

Haha, went nearly a month without running - NEVER doing that again - now short runs are SEVERELY painful...I need to get back into it and train my lungs up again!

3. Read 25  50 books

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I have read some fantastic books this month. My favourite has to have been 'Room' by Emma Donoghue - I loved it but don't want to say too much about it because it would deprive you of the chance to discover it for yourself as you read it. I will say the whole novel is written from the perspective of a 5 year old boy which is a very refreshing view!

I also really enjoyed Lucky Bones which is the story of a young girl who is murdered and we see her in heaven and everyone she left behind dealing with the aftermath. 

I enjoyed Crossed, the sequel to Matched, a young adult fiction book and also the two romantic books that provided a bit if light relief amongst the other books I read!

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries

The fact that I have been on holiday and now our kitchen is being redone means that I have not been able to cook new recipes as such, I did manage to squeeze two in before the chaos began - we are currently living with a microwave, a sink and a fridge in the garage! I did manage the following couple of recipes before chaos erupted! We received the October Good Food Magazine this week and there are several recipes in there that I cannot wait to try!

South African Babotie

BBQ chicken and fried rice

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

I will be announcing my newest series ONE WEEK from today on the 7th September and it will begin on the 14th September so stay tuned! It is also my one year blog-aversary on the 16th September - cannot believe it has been a whole year since I started writing Heron's Crafts but heyho!

Have a great September! What have you got planned?  Any books that you recommend I read this month?

Love Rebecca

July Round Up

Another month gone...not awfully productive in terms of my New Years goals but life has been pretty busy what with the Olympics (returned late last night), Brownie Camp and other volunteering activities I do! Still, I have achieved a few things...next month I will achieve more I am sure!

And when I haven't been busy volunteering and what not...I have been doing things like this...going on the swings...like the big kid that I am!

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

Still no. Soon! I promise!


2. Run 6 miles

Running has continued but slowly due to volunteering and other commitments taking my time and energy.

3. Read 25  50 books

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Again, not as many books read this month but I have so much travelling next month I am sure this will improve! I read 'What Katy did Next' - where Katy travels to Europe. And 'Matched' which I really enjoyed - about a big brother style society that chooses your ideal partner for life...but what happens when they get it wrong? ooh! Definitely a good read...next book is the sequel - Crossed!

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries

Really enjoyed a cooking up a British feast with mini British classics for this month's international meals!

British Feast

Egyptian Kushari

Jamaican Lamb Curry

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

I have finished my countdown to the Olympic Games and in August I have a brand new series I have been working on! Stay tuned for more!

p.s. Its a Wrap Wednesday will return next week!

I hope you have a fantastic and sunny August!

Love Rebecca

June Round - up

 Happy first of July! Summer has officially begun and what a summer it promises to be! June has been a really good month! It seems to have flown by which must mean that I have been busy!

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

Still no. Soon!


2. Run 6 miles

YES! This goal can be officially crossed off! 6miles acheived! I have now introduced interval running into by week to vary my work out!

3. Read 25  50 books

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I started the month with 'The Great Gatsby' and am afraid to say I did not particularly enjoy it. It is one of the first books I have read this year that felt like such a chore! Next I read 'The Truth about the Titanic' which was an interesting, informative account of the last few hours of the Titanic. The book is very factual and detached but is a good read. Finally, I found my childhood favourites, 'What Katy Did' and 'What Katy Did at School' on amazon's free dowloads so re-read these classic stories!

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries

I shared 4 new international recipes this month including dishes from Zanzibar, South Africa, Bolivia and Honduras.

Zanzibar Pilau

SA Chakalaka

Honduran Baleadas

Bolivia Peanut Soup

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

I lauched a brand new series this month - Its a Wrap Wednesday - every Wednesday for the next couple of months I will be sharing a new wrap recipe for you to enjoy!

I hope you all have a great July!

Love Rebecca