A Very Merry Birthday... of a sort

Buttons & Buttercream is a year old today! Can you believe it? I very nearly can't!

I don't have much in the way of new projects to present for such an occasion, so I've decided to share with you all tonight a plan for the next year of craft blogging, a 'new year's resolution' if you will. In this next year, I hope to share with you all, in no particular order:

• The completed shawl for my mom (five more rows!)
• Some throw pillows for my son's room 
• A hand-knit sweater for me! 
• A purse made out of an old pinstripe jacket of my husband's
• A summery day dress 
• A hand-knit sweater for my son's birthday
• Homemade Christmas decorations

I hope to accomplish all of this, and then some! I've got a lot more sewing planned for this year, and I hope to make it all a reality. The throw pillows are only the first of many projects I plan to do for my son's room, but I'd like to see what kind of curtain's I can find before I start to think about sewing some. Maybe I can make co-ordinating bed sheets! Precious! I also can't wait to attempt to make my own dress. Nearly all my dresses are either too professional, or formal, and the two day dresses I do have have been worn to death!

Only two new knitting projects planned right now, but they're two big ones! Hand-knitting a sweater for myself is an exciting challenge that I look forward to, especially since I already have the yarn for it, yarn that just stares at me, begging to be used! As for my son's sweater, I've already done it once and I hope to make a tradition for his birthday every year!

Another big all-consuming project I look forward to decorating my home! We're moving into a larger place soon, and this is the place we hope to settle into, so it's going to get an individual touch in every room! Decorations, sewing, oh my!

There are some things I'd like to acquire in the next year as well. You all know I love books, and here are some I hope to have on my shelves within a year (my husband asked why I need more knitting books; I reminded him that I have just one knitting book): 

• Lotta Jansdotter's Handmade Living: A Fresh take on Scandanavian Style - I fell in love with Lotta's work when I bought her baby sewing projects book. Fun stuff indeed, and with a new home to decorate, I could use some fresh inspiration! Coincidently, I'd also love...
• Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing - Because I love sewing that is simple!
• Knitting Lingerie Style by Joan McGowan-Michael - It's more lingerie inspired things, like blouses, but there are some actual lingerie patterns in here. My husband isn't too keen on the idea (he thinks the result will be like those macrame bikinis in the '70s), but after a year of nursing bras, some handmade feminine things would be really nice, and a little different!
• New England Knits by Cecily Glowik MacDonald - I love MacDonald's work from KnitScene magazine, and there are some wonderful patterns in this book, including a skirt and a hat with whales on it! I'm also a big sucker for New England fashion, or at least my perception of it. 
• French Girl Knits by Kristen Giffin-Grimes - I can't help but flip through this book covetously every time I see it at my LYS (that's Local Yarn Shop for you non-knitters). So pretty, so feminine! I think there's a skirt pattern in here too... don't ask me why, but I love the idea of a knitted skirt!

That's my projected year of projects. Happy Birthday, Buttons & Buttercream! Thank you all, dear readers, for joining me and my sister this last year as we began our adventure in cozy, yummy goodies, and I hope we'll see you around for the next year! 

-Sara