“Why don’t you start a blog?”

These were the words spoken to me just this week by a random stranger met in a fabric store, and it was exactly the final little push I needed. The past nine months have been a time of great changes and new ventures for me, and I have on more than one occasion considered diarising these events. And so, I will squash my fears of technology (how exactly does one blog?), and inadequacy (what will I have to blog about?), and throw myself into this new adventure.

About me

18 months ago my mother bought me my first sewing machine. I don’t know what prompted her to do so, I’d never displayed any interest in sewing before, but in her infinite wisdom she decided that in the moments between caring for a new baby I needed a hobby and sewing it must be! I started using said sewing machine as a shocked reaction to the price of baby gear ($40 for a basic cot sheet set? $30 for a single onesie in the supermarket? REALLY?). Surely it can’t be that hard? And you know, it wasn’t.

I started with sheets, then quickly moved on to sewing my baby’s clothes, bibs, soft toys, cot sets and blankets, nappies (diapers) and bags; I also became addicted to craft blogs and tutorials, and purchased more patterns than I know what to do with! I discovered a love for sewing that I previously never knew I possessed. A brief fling with selling things on Etsy then followed, until (boom, hello!) I fell unexpectedly pregnant again.

Two days before my second child was born my husband and I unexpectedly found ourselves both without work, which was the catalyst for major life changes. We decided we would see this as a time to enjoy our newborn babe and our time together, and a rare opportunity for a tree change.

Fast forward nine months and we are on an extended visit with my parents in a gorgeous little farm house in the middle of nowhere, enjoying space, quiet, our two gorgeous boys and most importantly each other. I am grateful for the stress-free atmosphere, it’s exactly what a tired mother of two under two needs, and I have been so happy and content these past three months it will be hard to return to my full time corporate life.

What next?

That’s the beautiful thing, I’m not sure! I am looking forward to going back to work, my job is both stimulating and challenging, but there are so many changes I am inspired to make. My vision for 2015 is to:

1. Live move simply with less.

2. Push my limits and sew an entire wardrobe for myself.

3. Improve myself with study and consider what I really want to do for the rest of my life.

I firmly believe that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you want from your life, as long as you keep growing and learning and don’t hang back waiting for life to happen. Go get ’em.

What are your plans for 2015?

PS I ran this blog post past my sister, and I now know that me getting a sewing machine was just a serendipitous mistake – my sister had been asking for a sewing machine and mum bought it for the wrong daughter. Isn’t it funny how a chance mistake like this can have such a profound effect on your life?