At the beginning of the year I made myself some <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/2012/01/2012-goals/">goals for 2012</a>.  I put them on my blog so that I could hold myself accountable for actually reaching them.  Here is my list of goals and my progress on each one:

1. Learn to bake bread- no progress, but hopefully before the end of the year.  There is still time!  And luckily this is a task that shouldn't take a day or two.

2. Learn to quilt- no progress, but I did buy all my fabrics and get my sewing machine out of storage. Ah ha! Here are my fabrics.  I purchased most of them from Sew Modern.

<a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2595" rel="attachment wp-att-2595"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2595" title="fabrics1" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fabrics1-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2596" rel="attachment wp-att-2596"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2596" title="fabrics2" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fabrics2-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2597" rel="attachment wp-att-2597"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2597" title="fabrics3" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fabrics3-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>

<a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2598" rel="attachment wp-att-2598"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2598" title="fabrics4" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fabrics4-500x334.jpg" alt="" width="304" height="203" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2599" rel="attachment wp-att-2599"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2599" title="fabrics5" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fabrics5-500x334.jpg" alt="" width="305" height="203" /></a>

Here are all of the fabrics stacked up together so that you can see all the colors and prints in action.

<a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2600" rel="attachment wp-att-2600"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2600" title="fabrics6" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/fabrics6-334x500.jpg" alt="" width="334" height="500" /></a>

3. Begin to learn Italian- nessun progresso (that's Italian for no progress)!  But that's okay I have plenty of time before I move to Florence, Italy.

4. Get my butt into shape- So for I bought an adult tricycle to get around (but it's been raining lately- a great thing!!!) and I have lost 20 pounds (50 pounds to go).

5. Publish an E-book or a book book- HA! What an unrealistic time frame I gave myself! Maybe in 2013 or 2014.

6. Get organized- Believe it or not I didn't own a desk before.  Now I have a desk a file cabinet, drawers, almost everything in my life has a place! but of course there is lots of room for improvement.

7. Learn how to plan things ahead of time- I have made so much progress on this.  Even my blog posts I schedule 7-10 days ahead of time! But this is a constant battle for me- procrastination is in my blood... its what I am made of... my very essence.  Fighting it is like fighting my DNA... it's freggin hard! So I'm working on it and making progress.

8. Eat healthier and more vegetables (get a CSA box)- Got my <a href="http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php">CSA</a> box! And I LOVE it!!!  I now receive the "more veggies only box" every other week.  They stay fresh much longer because they are local and don't spend two weeks on a truck.  So not only am I eating more vegetables that are local, organic and in season, but I am getting way more creative in the kitchen!  BTW- Let me know if you are interested in <a href="http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php">Farm Fresh to You</a> - I can get you a coupon code for $10 off your first box!

9. Eat out only 1-2 times a week- Well, ever since we got our CSA box I feel an obligation to use everything in the box.  May no vegetable go to waste! So naturally we are eating out much much much less.  Also now that I'm not working a full time job I'm not exhausted when I come home and I have a ton of energy to cook for dinner. Also all the veggies we eat give me energy, and the weight loss gave me more energy.  Its cyclical! So now we are down to eating out about 1-4 times every <em>two</em> weeks.

10. Plan a vacation to Europe &amp; New York- Nothing on NY front... but I am thinking about it for the spring.  I did go to Barcelona in the summer. Sorry I didn't blog about it... but it was right in the middle of the <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/category/olgas-vest-kal/">Olga's Vest KAL</a> and there just wasn't any Barcelona blogging time... but I have to say- my sister and I had a blast!!!!!  But why don't I share a few photos for fun?

<a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2605" rel="attachment wp-att-2605"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2605" title="14" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/14-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2608" rel="attachment wp-att-2608"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2608" title="4" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/4-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2609" rel="attachment wp-att-2609"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2609" title="10" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/10-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>

From left to right: <a href="http://www.lapedrera.com/en/home">La Padrera</a>, <a href="http://www.parkguell.es/en/">Parc Guell</a>, <a href="http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/">La Sagrada Familia</a>.

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<a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2607" rel="attachment wp-att-2607"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2607" title="DSC_0072" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DSC_0072-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2606" rel="attachment wp-att-2606"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2606" title="DSC_0066" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DSC_0066-e1353467581760-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2610" rel="attachment wp-att-2610"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2610" title="DSC_0023" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DSC_00231-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>

From left to right: Me shopping at <em><a href="http://allyouknitislove.com/blog/">All You Knit is Love</a> </em>wearing my <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/project/jannas-tunic/">Janna's Tunic</a><em>, </em>a random yarn bombing in the Gothic Quarter, my sister polishing off a bowl of very Spanishy nachos and washing it all down with a hearty pitcher of sangria.

11. Self-publish between 8-10 patterns with about 5-6 garments- Hmmm..... well... this was definitely a tough one!  I self-published <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/patterns/">11 patterns</a> this year and 6 of them were garments.  So booyah! Got that one in the bag!

12. Finish all UFOs older than 3 years- HAHAHAHA! What a pipe dream! I did finish <em>one</em> UFO... and then I published it.... can you guess which one? Here is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bumble-stripes">link</a> to the pattern... I published it :)

13. Knit another Blanket (maybe <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/project/triangles-diamonds-squares-oh-my/">TDS</a>)- Didn't do <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/project/triangles-diamonds-squares-oh-my/">TDS</a>, even though I still want to.  I even have a the perfect yarn picked out, <a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/1081-Manos-Del-Uruguay-Handspun-Semi-Solids">Manos Del Uruguay Wool Classica</a>.   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/project/triangles-diamonds-squares-oh-my/">TDS</a> my size! Even  though I didn't knit a blanket, I have <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/2012/11/granny-square-blanket-update/">crocheted</a> one and started piecing it together.

<a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2615" rel="attachment wp-att-2615"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2615" title="DSC_0111" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DSC_0111-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2616" rel="attachment wp-att-2616"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2616" title="DSC_0010" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/DSC_0010-e1353471542484-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>   <a href="http://graceakhrem.com/?attachment_id=2617" rel="attachment wp-att-2617"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-2617" title="GSB2web" src="http://graceakhrem.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/GSB2web1-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="200" /></a>

14. Make my own pair of pajamas- Yeah right! Another pipe dream.  Got the fabric, got the machine out of storage....  now I just need to relearn how to sew, follow a pattern, and remember how to use my machine.... aaaah! Overwhelming.  One of these days I think I'll go to the <a href="http://www.sewingartscenter.com/www/">Sewing Arts Center</a> and take a class.

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