dolla dolla bills y'all

Make more. Buy less.

I tend to think that by the time I discover some online goodness, everyone else already knows about it, and then I don't share. That's about to change. There might be someone out there in the knitting/sewing world who hasn't seen this woman's blog or her wonderful patterns. She just came out with 2 new ones, a messenger bag and an apron, which I pre-ordered the second I received notice that they were available.

Montessori by Hand

Now, I realize I did mention something about a spending plan as part of this year's resolutions. This should tell any fool, but especially me, that this means I can't go snapping up patterns, no matter how cute, every time I have a whim. I've thought about this, and decided that I'll use January to see where my money actually goes -- meaning I'll spend as, er, usual -- and establish my spending plan for February. I've arbitrarily, but reasonably, I think, decided that 60 dollars will be my monthly craft budget. Zero isn't going to cut it. Less than 50 probably isn't going to happen. The extra 10 is for padding! If by some miracle I don't spend my whole budget, I'm allowed to roll it over to subsequent months. If 60 sounds like a lot, which it does to me, just know that this month, so far, I've spent 189.65, including my hot off the presses Montessori patterns, on stuff to make stuff. Um. THAT is a lot. And it's not unusual for me. And it's got to stop.

The only exception I'll make is for another vintage sewing machine for my birthday. If I find one, and it's reasonable, I'm getting it.

I know what I've spent on crafting, utilities, birthday gifts -- everything -- because I've started tracking my spending in this great online program, expensr. With the above exception, from February through December, I'll keep faithful to the craft budget by making a deal: Every month, I'll announce my craft spending here. If I go over, I'll make the first commenter who busts me anything, anything at all, that I've made and posted on this blog by that time. Anything I've knitted, sewed (tote bag, anyone?), crocheted (you don't want that), embroidered, whatever. And I'll do it and get it sent within a week. Ack. Deal?

Deal.

(Please know I am so shaking in my boots over this. It's taken me hours to hit "Publish Post.")