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Blogging and Life

Monday, May 12

The new year always starts with so much promise. This year I was quite hopeful about my blog. I was going to be sewing and posting every week, not simple sewing mind you, no, not good enough for moi. I was going to be making well crafted pieces, boning and all. Ha! Here we are, going into the middle of the year, and I have nothing to show for it.  Where did all the days go? More importantly, why have I not been sewing, or blogging?

The truth of the matter is, unless blogging is your full time job, you need to dig deep down to find motivation to blog regularly. I am not saying it cannot be done, we all know there are fabulous bloggers out there who have demanding jobs, but still blog regularly like it was easier than making a cup of tea. To those bloggers, I raise my cap. I, on the other hand, really struggle. Ever since Noah came on the scene, things have gone pear shaped sewing wise (no pun intended). Again, I am not saying you can't blog successfully when/if you have kids, as there are mega bloggers out there with more kids than I can count on my two hands. How do they do it? How do you do it? Any tips for a struggling sister?

I struggle with finding time to sew, or blog. Somehow, sewing and blogging have been relegated to the bottom of my to do list. I just don't have the time, and I realise I need to make more of an effort but it is just so hard. There are a couple of things which are responsible for this inactivity, which I will briefly  touch on.

Since August 2013, we have been trying to sell our matchbox flat. Our little family is growing, and we no longer have space to breathe in our flat. We had multiple offers for our flat the first day of viewings, and found a lovely new house for ourselves. Unfortunately, our buyer was a first time buyer, and unbeknownst  to us, had not even secured a mortgage. A couple of months later, the chain broke, so we were back to square one. In January we put our house once more on the market, and sold for 5k above our asking price on the first day of viewings. We decided to move to Milton Keynes, and found a lovely house which I could not stop dreaming about. Turns out it was not meant to be. Our house sale fell through again because of the damp in our house. The heartbreak this time was even more painful because I had already strong armed Mr.Dibs into letting me convert one of the rooms into a sewing room. Needless to say, I did not want to see my sewing machine because it reminded me of things that were not to be. We have since fixed the damp, and thousands of pounds later, our house is going back on the market today. I am trying work some excitement into the process but to be honest, I am struggling with that as well. I don't think I will be able to handle another disappointment.

On a more positive note, one other thing that has been fighting for my time, is my obsession with macarons. I wrote a post about them earlier this year, and my love for them has only increased. So much so that I have decided to start selling them. I have been doing alot of research on how I want to proceed with my macaron business, and what brand image I want, packaging, distribution and the usual suspects. It is fun, and scary at the same time. I am going to Paris in June to study this course at Ferrandi, a French culinary school. My friend is getting married in June, and she wants me to make a macaron tower for her, so exciting times ahead. Plus, I will need your help sometime soon, I plan on hosting a macaron tasting party so we can all decide on the flavours I will be selling. If you think you could help with that please drop me a note in the comments box.



I also decided to loose some weight. I joined the gym, and so I go some days after work, which means I don't have enough time after work to sew. I currently work in Maidenhead, so by the time I get back to London, all I want to do is eat and pass out. I have good days and bad days, and I have had a cold twice in 30 days, which has broken my motivation to go to the gym. I am hoping to get back on track this month. I have lost a bit of weight though, as you can see from the picture below.


So there you have it. My gazillion reasons for not keeping in touch. I don't even know when I will get back to sewing as my weekends are already fully booked till the end of June. I am on the lookout for a Babylock overlocker though, so if/when I do buy it, the excitement of a new machine might translate into me actually sewing something.

I have been buying fabric though. That is the one constant in my life. My fabric obsession. I am so looking forward to summer because of all the maxi wearing opportunities I will have.

Oh, one more thing, how do you manage the demands on your time and life, with sewing and blogging?

46 comments:

  1. I don't! The last time I posted to my blog was in December. I work 4 part-time jobs and totally crazy hours, though, and I have two dogs and a partner who's out of the country three months out of the year, so the concept of "balance" has gone completely out the window. I struggle just to find time to do the dishes and take the dogs out to play. I'm hoping that will slow down a bit once I'm down to just two jobs (the end of the month can't come soon enough!), and I'll be a regular in the blogosphere, but for now, I'm just reading other people's posts and wishing I had time to do what they're doing. :)

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    1. Oh dear, and I thought I had it tough. Like you, I read other people's blogs when I can, and I keep wishing I could just make 1 item. I have seen so many things that I want to make.

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  2. I think you look lovely. I'm retired and have plenty of time to blog...don't worry, the time will be right for you someday. Meanwhile, you have to juggle what's really important to you. I hope you don't mind, but I was a Realtor in the USA for 30 plus years and have a couple of unsolicited tips of how to sell your home. First, of course, you must take care of the "damp" as the British say. But I've also noticed how differently you, on the other side of the Atlantic, decorate your homes. We in the USA (and I suspect a lot of young Britons) hate wallpaper. If you have any, take it down and paint a light neutral. Often I've successfully had clients take away every other decorative thing, which makes the place look more spacious. And of course you must take down all personal photographs. Naturally the house must be immaculate and smell fresh. Houzz is a terrific resource for house sellers. Hope you don't mind that I, a grandmother, give unsolicited advice, it's in my nature!

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  3. Oh no Carole, I am happy to receive as much advice as I can get. We have fixed the damp, so I am hoping this time it will go through. We don't have wallpaper, and we have kept the wall colours to pale colours. I have never heard of Houzz, so I will be checking that out. Thanks so much.

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  4. Dibs! I've missed you, but last time I saw you I knew you were getting busy! You are doing great don't beat yourself up. I'm sorry to hear about all the house stuffs. It gets really frustrating. Buying our house was so scary and worrying for us too and with the little man in tow its gotta be way harder. I will look forward to your maxi dresses whenever you get them done. I'd love to go out for coffee sometime, maybe even take a look at your always growing fabric collection! x

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  5. Hi Dibs, good to hear from you... Not much advice on the life/sewing/blogging balance I'm afraid as i am as equally rubbish on the blogging front certainly. The time will come I'm sure...

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    1. I hope it does Tamsin. What with the little ones growing more demanding lol

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  6. Sometimes you have to let things slide to maintain your sanity. I've let both sewing slide a little and blogging slide a lot recently. There are only so many hours in the day!
    I hope the sale works out this time and your commute is less of an ordeal and you all have more space.
    As for the macarons, you have a talent! Go for it!

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    1. hihihihihihihi. Thanks Vicki, plus I know you are totally busy yourself. I will have to invite myself over to yours when that pool is complete.

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  7. You have been blessed with a lovely son. Take the time to enjoy him. They change so fast. Clothing is no where near as important. Take time out from blogging, and remove any pressure from yourself. Blogging is for fun and to record your creativity! Share with us your baking creative journey - I am sure your readers will enjoy that too.
    And congratulations on your weight loss, that is very hard to do. x

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    1. Thanks Nessa. I really love baking right now, so fingers crossed, I will be able to take good pictures soon.

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  8. First of all: You look great! And this red dress is stunning on you!
    I sew and blog because I love it. There are times when I don't feel like sewing and blogging because there are too many other things going on and that's fine, too. Don't do it because you feel you have to. And blogging once a week is quite a big goal for someone who has so many things to think of like you do! Sometimes it helps to kick oneself in the butt and just sit down and start. Maybe you can set your goal to once a month? Without pressure and a guilty conscience it will be fun again. Hope your house sell works out this time x

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    1. Once a month sounds really doable. Then I will have time to actually plan and sew something, and enjoy the process too.

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  9. You look great - I like that dress a lot.

    Sounds like you have a lot going on in the real world - the macaron course and business sound super exciting, plus your lovely family, and I know house moving is a SERIOUS project. Don't create additional pressure for yourself. Blogging and sewing for a blog is not easy.

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    1. I love that dress too. I have never been as excited about a dress as I was about this one when I bought it. Thanks Lady ID

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  10. Wow dibs you look amazing! Great dress! I have a 5 year old (it gets marginally easier altho the mummy guilt is always there), I work full time, I sew for about an hour each evening (more interesting than TV! ) and I blog. I mainly plan and blog either on commute on smartphone or lunch hours at work. But you have to really want to do both as it's easy not to do either! Maybe wait til house is sold - we moved 3 years ago and it was horrible - and once that pressure is removed then think what you want to do!

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    1. Wow, I wish I could sew everyday. The trouble with that is my sewing machine is now in our room, and I can't sew when my husband wants to sleep, so I have to sew when we get home, but then I need to spend time cooking and getting Noah ready for bed, so it just is not possible....sigh...one day

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  11. I agree that you look amazing. I've been drooling over your macaron pics all year and am so excited for you to have made this work for you.
    Sewing will always be there for you. Especially as you're a creative and talented person.

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    1. Ha! My evil plan is to kill you all on instagram with pictures of macaron loveliness. Thanks for the encouragement Maria.

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  12. Looking hot chica! Hope you're saving your pennies to visit me.

    I have access to a webinar on starting your business. Drop me a message on FB if you're curious!

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    1. Of course I am. My 1p jar is growing by the day.

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  13. Motherhood was such a shock to me, all I knew was when the next feed/nappy change/nap was due and to just get through the day was a major achievement! You are doing more than fine, don't be so hard on yourself. The right house will come along with the perfect room to create your own space, just let things pan out, it may take a little time but until then you can concentrate on watching your little one grow. You are looking fabulous by the way! 😉

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    1. Thanks Helen. My boss said the same thing to me about the right house coming at the right time, and I think it might be true because we are now looking at houses out of London which offer more for our money.

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  14. Thanks for the update. I was thinking about and wondering what you were up to. Good luck in the macaroon business. Wish I could come to your tasting because I absolutely love macaroons!

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  15. Hi Dibs, I can so relate to the stress of not having time for sew. I work 9 hours a day, then come home for the "second shift" with my 1.5 year old. By the time he goes to sleep I only have enough energy to stare at the TV. On the weekends I'm even more exhausted from running around him. Of course I could ask my husband to take him somewhere and leave me alone, but I think I actually enjoy so much being with the two of them.
    So... I decided that since there is one day a week when I come home late, after little one goes to sleep, this evening (even if only two hours) will be dedicated to sewing...
    I think it's really important and good for the soul to find this little "window" for a beloved hobby.

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  16. You look great Dibs, but then you always do. You really can't do everything and it sounds like you have a jolly good try at fitting as much as you can into life. Good luck with the Macaroon business - you certainly have some drive :)

    http://asaucystitch.blogspot.co.uk/

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  17. I'm a full time mum to two children, and I usually can make time to sew either during naptimes or in the evening, but I do struggle with blogging. I blog fairly regularly but it does sometimes feel like an added pressure. It's very difficult juggling everything and unfortunately it all just comes down to prioritisation. You've prioritised your macarons, and rightly so if you'll be starting your own business! You can't do everything, and sewing is a skill you will always have and you can come back to it at any point in the future. Good luck with your house sale, too. Third time lucky, hopefully! Oh and I would *love* to test some macarons! Good work with the weight loss, too. You look fab.

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  18. This post sounds so familiar to me! I haven't been sewing or blogging much at all since my wee boy was born 6 months ago. I think you're doing amazing looking after your son, working, commuting, losing weight & creating those fabulous looking macarons! I'mnot back working yet but can already imagine how hard it will be - you're doing brilliantly! I hope you manage to get a wee bit sewing time soon but in the meantime try & remember just how much you're already doing & give yourself some praise!

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  19. Strange, I was thinking about you the other day and was wondering what you were doing lately.

    I can only imagine how busy you are with a child and commuting to and from work etc, I am back to working full time (some weeks more than full time) and my commute is extremely short (I won't say how short because you would hate me), and I can barely manage to keep my house clean, let alone anything else. Like going to the gym, sewing and blogging. I am missing blogging and sewing and am trying to figure out a way to fit both back into the schedule.

    You look wonderful!

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  20. Don't beat yourself up about the blog :-) or sewing - it's supposed to be fun, and creative, and you can't force creativity when you're zonked out from life (and commuting). Be kind to yourself and do what feels right - that's what I try to follow, and if that means that sewing (and blogging) suffers for a while, then that's ok. It'll come back at some point. The macaroons sound great - I'm definitely happy to test for you! :-) my email is theainsewingland (at) gmail.com. Good luck with the house sale this time round!

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  21. Ugh! I don't manage time for everything. I can't sew as much as I like!!

    When I hit my 40's my metabolism just quit on me. I'm 52 now. Late last year I started drinking green smoothies (spinach and fruit smoothies. Much better than they sound.) Great for breakfast and easily holds me till lunch. A friend challenged me to the GM Diet (Google) for a week. That jump started me with a 6 lb weight loss and broke my sugar cravings (which is the main reason I did it.)

    Drinking fruit and protein smoothies for breakfast (and finding breakfast foods heavy now). and just paying attention to limit sweets, breads and fried foods. Feel much better and managing weight better. Like you I'm having a hard time exercising, so haven't beat that one yet. One step at a time, right??

    Anyway, wanted to share the smoothie trick in case it worked for you. Good luck. Hope you're feeling better.

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  22. Hello! It's lovely to see a post from you, because I've always enjoyed reading your blog, but as others have said, don't beat yourself up about not posting - you've a lot going on! That's really pants about the offers on your flat, but if you got offers so quickly before, then you're bound to get offers quickly now. I'll have my fingers crossed for you! Good luck with your macaroon business! I've never actually eaten one of these, but they look delicious. And congratulations on your weight loss, that's a great achievement. You look fab-u-lous in the red dress, but I thought you always looked lovely. Good luck with all your plans! Lynne

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  23. Dibs you look great, well done on the weight loss!
    I struggled to blog and sew last year After buying our first house and having to furnish and decorate it, it just took it's toll I felt so frustrated but eventually I had to admit defeat and accept that it's just life!
    Good on you with the baking though, and I'd love to see the macaroon tower! :)

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  24. Gosh, there just isn't time for everything! I have no idea how people with kids get anything done at all... it seems impossible! I do lots of sewing, but I don't cook anything involved and have a small apartment so I have minimal housework. My two cents are that you should go in the direction that you're really passionate about, macarons! It seems like exciting opportunities are coming your way in that direction, and I can't wait to hear what's next for you! As far as exercise goes, I have to work out in the morning or I won't do it at all- I'm too tired after work. And I never go to the gym, either, as the commute back and forth takes up too much time, so I either run or do pilates at home.

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  25. PS- you look hot hot hot in that red dress!!!

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  26. You look like you have lost lots of weight and look fab. I think it sounds like macaroons are becoming your new passion and setting up a new business along with looking after baby is time consuming. If you can't blog, so what? Do it when you can. Just sew if and when you feel like it, if you love it, and the blogging will come after. We will all still be here :-)

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  27. Dibs you are looking fantastic! So exciting about the macaron making, especially the course in Paris! It's no wonder that you haven't had time to sew with all that going on and little Noah on your hands. Try not to be yourself up about it, sewing (and blogging) is meant to be something to enjoy not something to feel pressured about. You'll feel the uncontrollable urge to get on that machine soon, summer approaching and the lure of maxis is a great kick up the bum for me too! Good luck with the house sale

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  28. Those macaroons are making me hungry, yum. Enjoy your baby and remember we sew and blog for fun not for stress.

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  29. You're looking fantastic Dibs, I don't know how you're doing it with all those yummy looking macarons around! It's because of you that I've been testing out macaron making - nowhere near your level of skill but I am getting better! Would love to do what I can to help with your macaron business, it's been very exciting seeing the progress on your Instagram.

    House buying was stressful enough for me so I can't imagine trying to do it whilst selling and with a kid in tow. Really hope it moves quickly and smoothly for you! Sewing can wait a little while longer, it's good to hear that you're building up a nice fabric stash for when you do get back to the machine!

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  30. Do what makes you happy. No regrets. No guilt. Just be happy xx

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  31. Hi Dibs. Great to read from you again. Well done on the weight loss. You're not alone mami. It's interesting how difficult it can be to get motivated once one gets a bit overwhelmed with major transitions. Throw taking care of young ones in the mix and you feel like pulling over just to keep focus. I have numerous distractions as well, and the most I've done is PLAN projects and blog posts. I've decided that until school is out, my kids are like two full-time jobs already, so blogging will have to wait till after the end of May! I'm sure you'll be back once things settle... no pressure. Good luck on the house and will be looking forward to your baking posts. I prefer eating, but I don't mind looking if that's all I can do :-)

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  32. You look amazing, happy and gorgeous!
    Good luck with the maracroons busines. I'm live in London and I know my friends and I would happily do some tastings for you on the macaroons front!
    All the best with your new adventure ; )

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  33. Dibs! You need a new wardrobe! I love that you are doing so many things. And good luck on the business.

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  34. Hi Dibs, I'm sorry for the house hunting that went bad I wish you good luck with the macarons !
    When you come in France in June, I hope to see you !

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  35. Sexy you. You know how much I miss you and your fun posts but don't pressure yourself. When the time comes you will be back.

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  36. Sometimes, life gets in the way of your sewing. The only reason I manage it is because I am constantly scheming about how I'm going to sew instead of doing something else! I honestly don't know how people with kids AND jobs sew. Leith from Sew Brunswick is a constant source of inspiration for me there. The woman is unflappable! I'm super excited to hear about your burgeoning macaron business though - yay!! That picture looks incredibly divine. Macarons are hands down one of my favourite treats and I'm devastated I'm not any where near your postcode so I can sample them. All the best with your venture!

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