new year, new focus

Happy New Year, everyone! Like most people, I tend to get a little introspective at the turning of a new year... evaluating the changes my life took in the previous year, and looking ahead to what another year might bring - and what I might bring to it. And I've been thinking a lot lately about this little blog of mine, especially since it's been a bit neglected since Emma was born. There was a point not that long ago that I had gotten so wrapped up in my mama role that I seriously considered stopping this blog... if I got around to sewing or baking when I had some free time, great, but my identity as a maker had become rather diminished and given my elation with being a mom, I was actually kind of okay with that. And then I started working on Emma's Christmas dress (the first challenging sewing project I'd taken on since before she was born) and my creative juices started flowing again. I remembered why I fell in love with all this in the first place - the sewing, seam ripping, back aching fabric cutting, will it fit stress and the joy when it actually does. And how much I enjoy writing about and sharing my projects... there's such a fantastic community of makers online that inspire endless creativity - and while I'm a very very minuscule part of it, I am part of it nonetheless. And I want to keep being a part of it. Obviously, I don't regret the time I choose to spend hanging out with my baby instead of sitting in front of my computer, but this blog is a much needed creative outlet for me and a nice motivator to keep attempting new projects. So what does that mean for Made by Bird going forward? Well there's no denying my life has changed and therefore what I post about has and will continue to change. But don't worry... I don't intend for this to become a "mommy blog." I have no desire to post about spit up or poop or which sleep training method we ascribe to. But, I do intend to post more about my life and not just about the stuff I've made. And now that I have a phone with a MUCH improved camera, I'm hoping to start posting a lot more often. I can't tell you how many things I've taken photos of with the fancy camera that I've never gotten around to posting, especially dinners. I'm still going to try to keep improving my photography skills, but I'm not going let a lack of perfectly edited photos keep me from posting.

Well there you have it... a very long-winded way of saying there will be more of me in the new year. Like it or not. ;-)