1 step forward 2 steps back (or is it the other way around?)

Even when you plan as much as I do, I am still always surprised how behind I am. If you know me, you know even when I try really really hard, I will always be at least 10 mins late. This translates to everything. And I really should not be surprised that I have only 5 projects finished for the new book, when I wanted to have 8 done by now.

I should be less surprised that I have to work through the holidays. Every year in January, I vow not to work through the holiday season. By November, I am always behind and have to work long long nights through and put on a happy face while I do it. So no surprise I will have to do it this year as well.

My one saving grace is getting one afternoon off a week to sit back and just work. To actually work when I am alert, it is such a noble concept these days. Work for me happens all the time, but I usually have one eye on my 2yr old making sure she isn't wrecking havoc while I check my email. My only time to concentrate is during nap or bedtime and you know how with-it you are after wrestling a toddler to sleep. Still I am amazed at how just one afternoon really can re-charge me.

Like this week for example. I got the 5 projects back from my crocheters 2 weeks ago. I planned a week of doing the finishing bits and send them off. (I always do the finishing so that I can write exactly what to do for that piece. You know that yarn can vary so much and you never quite know which one will really need a steam bath to get it to settle down, or which one will need a larger edging to support the weight of the crochet. Instead of wasting my crocheter's time, I do it. Plus, then I can get my hot little hands on the project too. I can get very jealous sometimes that they get to crochet with the yarn. Anyway.) After an entire week of late nights (think newborn sleep hours); I was only half finished and really disheartened. In all the planning who new that it would take me 2 weeks to finish, instead of one. So going into the week, I knew I was behind and really need to get to the next step on my to do list. No magic pill to make you not totally disheartened at the time it is taking you to finish, other then to just finish. But on my one afternoon off, when I can sit and think. It comes to me, put all my struggles finishing these in the book. Because I know everyone has had projects that they think they have to frog, but actually might only need some blocking or lining or edging to fix them. See, it is amazing what you can do even when you are at your end with just a few hours to think straight.

Even with all the late nights these past few weeks and all the going ons in our house (if you have been following me on twitter you know that nearly everything in our house needed fixed at one point); how can you trade it in when I get to visit places like Phipps (the pic above) in Pittsburgh. Our daily routine consists of going to a museum/ library/ park everyday to get CJ tired and I can then work. I won't lie, I get most of my inspiration for my work in those activities. I mean come on, look how beautiful that place is and just try to not be inspired.

So a little late, but this week will be inspiration week around here to remind me that even if it takes me an extra month I can finish projects. The first is to the right, and noticing now how all those colors looked plucked out of the picture above; just goes to prove that even when you don't know you are being inspired you really are. The project on your right is for a magazine, so i can't say much other then I really enjoyed making it. It took me a month to crochet. I would literally get to crochet one or two rows a day, but hey even that will add up in the end right? More sneak peeks all this week, hope you enjoy!