Birthday weekending

It's still (his) birthday weekend around here, so we're enjoying a few days in a row of sleeping in, sipping coffee slowly, and generally being our homebody-selves. More specifically:

Writing out my creative goals for 2017 is already proving to be productive! It seems that establishing a plan helps me consistently make things I actually want to make and be less prone to impulse buying. In knitting-specific news:

• One of the more expensive planned projects was a sweater, and coincidentally, my local yarn shop had my desired yarn on sale (a big win when you're buying yarn in sweater quantities).
• I made progress on my already-started socks
• I cast on for a shawl that I've had the materials for and the plans to make.
• That brings my total projects at a time to three, which is my sweet spot for variety and motivation
• I splurged for a set of new interchangeable knitting needles and I'm already using (and loving) them

Podcast-listening: Some specifics that I've enjoyed: this podcast about being an organized person, and the realization that I'm (mostly) a Penelope, for worse or for better. It made me think a lot about my recent post about keeping our home tidy.

Watching by myself: : this knitting vlog, which consists of the host talking about her creative process for dyeing yarn, plus footage of her knitting and drinking tea. This is akin to #slowtv, along the lines of Bob Ross or National Knitting Night. I find slow tv oddly calming and thus not prohibitive or intrusive to quality "making" time.

Watching together: A Series of Unfortunate Events (the Netflix original version is so good! It has a Wes Anderson-feel) and Sherlock.

In the kitchen: chips and salsa for snacking. And we cannot stop talking/thinking about the Swedish Coffee Cake I made for his birthday, recipe from Scandinavian Gatherings, made gluten-free with a simple gluten-free all-purpose flour substitution. I plan to make a second batch tomorrow, since it's technically still his birthday weekend.

Purposeful resting: creating a bedtime tea routine. Also, we finally bought flannel sheets! I haven't had flannel sheets in years. Never has our bed been so cozy. Perhaps that's why we slept in the last few days?

In our home: hosting friends (including some new ones!) for a game night on Nicholas' birthday. And today, we cleared off the kitchen table for some puzzling.

Wearing layers inside, including long underwear, knitted shawls, and vests, as we keep our apartment a little bit cooler. I've also been wearing my hand-knit Lila pullover sweater for every activity under the sun: driving, knitting, baking, napping, and yarn shopping for a new sweater

In my quiet times: relishing my time reading the book of 1 Peter. It's shaping how I view so many things. Today's reading, in particular, was really good for my heart:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5.6-7 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." 1 Peter 5.10 (emphasis mine)

I need to remind myself that God isn't anxious about the future—He doesn't respond to life the way we do (why is that so hard to remember?). He's given us no reason to be anxious about His plans for us because they are NOT like my plans, which so often stray from my expectations. But his plans always result in His glory. And if He wants to sanctify us through His plans, then Thy will be done.