Dollieh Sanctuary

Well, it's the new year SOMEWHERE in the world, anyhow.

Anyone have any resolutions to make? I have a few that I'm determined to actually do this year.

1. Move into an apartment. I hate that it'll force my mom to sell this house, but I can't stand living in this cramped basement anymore, no matter how nice it is. Has a bathroom and everything. Just no closets. I'd love to just buy the house from her, but realistically it probably won't happen, and I don't want the responsibility of maintaining it. So I want to move back into the apartment complex I used to live in, which allows pets and which is about a two minute drive right up the road from my job. Plus, washers and driers IN the units. And NO shoveling required when it snows. Best of all, real closets! So I have room to store things in places other than the corners of the room!

(Actually, the best of all is the place being two minutes away from work. I HATE driving to work in the snow at night. When the roads freeze it can be downright scary sometimes!)

2. Actually FINISH writing Shadow King. I keep going back and revising but have yet to come to the conclusion. I did get half of a new chapter written yesterday, so that's good. But I really need to finish it now.

3. Assuming #2 comes to pass, start trying to sell the finished novel. Perhaps self-publish it on Amazon Kindle (since it's free), and if it does well there, branch out into print editions, or attempt to find an agent. Self-pub seems to be the way to go these days, and I'm confident enough in my skills to feel I'll be able to make a few bucks by self-publishing (although the skills of promoting and advertising myself could probably use more work. heh).

Oddly I have no actual dolly-related plans, other than to finish paying layaway on my Soom Benmore. And doing a better job of resisting temptation whenever any doll company releases a sculpt I really, really like. Well, if I do get an apartment that will help, since most of my monies will be going into higher rent and electric and cable bills and stuff like that.

I gave up making resolutions since I can't seem to keep them. LOL

I never keep my resolutions either, but I'm going to make trying to keep some of them as my first resolution.

Write more. Submit more. (Possibly self-pub too, if I have to!)
Lose weight. (Am signed up for Yoga class already.)
Get control of the budget, especially the food budget so I can pay off all the doctor bills quicker.
Stay on my lo-so diet better.
Acquire a 22" American Model doll.
Sew more doll clothes.
Get rid of stuff we don't use/wear.

What you do is make ones that are possible to keep and you're just one step away.

I would like to publish a book, be it Xavier's stories, a photo book of pics I took, some other story, anything not doll related. But especially something about Xavier so it can have that 2013 date.

I would like to finish and string a home made doll with locking joints that can stand and sit.

I would like one shelf's worth of books to be scanned and go elsewhere.

I would like to knit/crochet/use yarn to make a pair of house slippers.

I don't usually make resolutions per say but I do have some goals for next year:

-Find a new home for all the figures/dolls/accessories I don't want in my collection. I want to love every figure/doll in my collection, thus I want to get rid of those I don't particularly care too much for and are just taking up space. I've already done most of this, I only have a few items left I want to re-home.
-Finish all of my current doll projects! I have a few reroots that need to be completed and faces I need to paint!
-Draw more, build up my portfolio.
-Possibly start taking faceup commissions?

That's all for now

Hmm.... good question. My resolution is to follow through with the things I say I want to do. I lack follow through on a lot of things.

Goal #1: Lose weight and keep it off through better choices. Actually finish the P90x routine this time. I started both in September and failed to follow through during the holidays. The problem is simple willpower and motivation. I'm lazy. So I guess my resolution would be to be willing to fight against my own nature and make better choices. I keep getting fatter and fatter and I can't stay this course any longer. I'm supposed to be a size 8, not 14.

Goal #2: Continue developing the writing craft and finish my novel this year. I don't pretend that I'll be good enough to get published but finishing a project this big is a great start. I'll get a critique from which to learn and grow so that one day it will be a book worth reading.

To do enough with my Etsy store to claim my hobbies as a business expense. Originally it was to make a profit, but small steps, small steps. ^_^;; Also to get more of my dolls and props for Genesis' storyline. And the obligatory weight loss/better organization/less procrastinating stuff yada yada yada...The only one I'm really determined about is Etsy, even if I don't manage to sell anything I need to at least list it.

Find a new job before my severance pay runs out.

I don't like making resolutions normally because I say I'll do them and then don't. But I have some dolly goals for 2013
1. Redo Finn and Alwyn's faceups
2. Restring Fleur and switch out her hands
3. Do Fleur's faceup and blush the extra hands to match her current resin tone
4. Sew doll clothes
5. Actually do a photostory. XD

I'm going to finally step into my life. Which means I'm going to stop running from things I want to do or try just because I'm afraid I'll fail. I've been that way all of my life and now that I'm in my mid-fifties, I think it's about time to step off the curb and join the parade. That includes: getting healthy, actually putting one of my book ideas down in print (or rather on the hard drive) and learning to do at least one thing I've always wanted to but was afraid to before.