I realized after I had taken this photo (to brag to my Mom about how good our picnic was) that I had purchased these plaid napkins for a different picnic in the same park over 20 years ago! Those are some pretty great napkins, to be in use for decades.
Goals for 2019 – June Progress
Send one real letter a month.
I didn’t manage to send any mail at all this month.
Sew at least one garment a month.
I finished sewing the grey trousers that I cut out in May (though they didn’t fit as well as the previous pair, dang it) and I made an experimental knit dress using the Seamwork Astoria top as the bodice. I like how it came out, but I haven’t gotten pictures of it yet.
Send newsletter at least once a month.
I finally sent one! It was terrible. But I did it!
Make one apartment improvement a month.
I meant to replace our pillows but forgot all about it. I did purchase new insulated water bottles for both Lennox and myself, which is maybe not a household improvement in the technical sense, but they will reduce our plastic waste. So maybe it counts?
Go on one outing with Lennox a month.
We went to see “Booksmart,” which I loved, and went to a free Houston Symphony performance at Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park. (That’s where the picture came from; more below.)
Read one physical book I already own a month.
I could swear I read more than one paperback last month, but the only one on my list was Keep Going by Austin Kleon — which I highly recommend. I feel about his books the way a lot of people feel about The Artist’s Way, which I don’t connect with at all. Keep Going gives a useful set of creative support tools to both writers and artists (and other creative sorts) trying to, well, keep going during trying times. Like these. I do recommend this book in particular, but all of his books are helpful.
Track spending on books, clothing, and sewing.
I spent $224.56 on clothing and accessories last month. That was a bit of a shock when I added it up! I spent a far more reasonable $78.15 on sewing patterns and fabric, and $70.23 on books. I need to reduce both the clothing and the sewing spending, though, as I have started to pay for yoga classes — and I lost a side client, so my income is a little reduced right now. I’ll do better in July.
Track daily writing habit.
I wrote 11 days in June, all in the second half when I was getting prepared for Camp Nanowrimo. I’m working on a fanfic project, but hey! That still counts.
Post weekly IG photo.
I think I only posted two photos in June, but I was a little burned out after May.
Run robot sweeper, vacuum bedroom, tidy, and clean bathroom weekly.
I only managed to do this once in June again. Why do I confess these things online? Our home isn’t too gross, I swear. I’m actually very tidy — it’s just that things get dusty and need to be swept. I’m waiting to hear back from a different cleaning service now, though.
Longer Term Goals
Reduce fabric stockpile to less than 100 yards (plus scraps) by the end of 2019.
I cut a few things out and donated a lot of yardage in June. I’m determined to buy less fabric in the future — but better quality when I do. I’ve had too many garment failures recently due to cheap fabric. I made a t-shirt in May in a rayon knit from JoAnn Fabrics, and after only two washes it looks pilled and terrible. I ended June with 117 yards in storage — a vast improvement over 149 in May!
Finish Baktus scarf.
I don’t think I touched this in June, but I’m taking it with me to Missouri later this week, so I should get a bit knitted on the plane if nothing else.
Find a way to keep performing.
I had my audition in June, but haven’t heard back whether I got in or not. It took them five weeks to let me know last year (this organization’s gears grind very slowly), so I should find out sometime this month.
Combine websites, transfer blog, forward other domains, purchase an SSL certificate.
I admit that I’m still procrastinating here.
My Short June Frugal List
Short and standard this time. In June, I:
- Paid for my monthly Seamwork subscription and all of my Patreon pledges using what I earned taking surveys.
- Took a pass on all of the Prime First Reads selections this month, but downloaded two Audible Originals for free.
- Stocked up on underwear from Lane Bryant during a brief sale. Although I feel that Lane Bryant’s quality has slipped on underwear, they have the ones I prefer. I’m glad I waited for a reasonable sale price, though.
- Had a free Doritos Taco Loco at Taco Bell because the Golden State Warriors did an impressive basketball thing. I don’t turn down free tacos even when I don’t understand WHY we get them.
- Went to see the Houston Symphony for free in the park. We took a picnic dinner and met a highly rated dog named Shrimp from the next blanket over. The weather even cooperated; it cooled down nicely after dark. I enjoyed the music, too — it was a program of Sibelius and Rachmaninoff.
- Downloaded two free graphics sets from Creative Market to make ridiculous graphics for my website and newsletter. (I passed on the hand-drawn llamas, though. Are you disappointed or relieved?)
- Read three physical books and three ebooks from the library — far less than usual. I mostly read Kindle books last month, though the majority of them were purchased in previous months. I made a good dent in my electronic backlog, though, and will hopefully make a little dent in my physical book backlog while traveling in July.
As I mentioned above, I need to both cut my spending and replace the client I lost (or at least the income, even if from a different skill set). I probably won’t make much progress on the income front until August, but I will keep an eye out for opportunities in the meantime.