Oh blimey it's creeping up on me faster than I'd like, but rather than think about my birthday next year I have been planning my party for this year to celebrate entering the last year of my '20s. My party will involve rollerskates, disco lights and probably a lot of bruises!

But anyway, back to the subject as its July 1st I thought it time for an update as there is exactly 13 months to go.

1. Own a sewing machine, - not yet although I’ve dropped hints about it being a 30^th birthday present or a moving in present.
2. Learn to knit socks – Um......
3. Visit Buckingham Palace – a date is booked into the diary, this will happen in September!
4. Swim in a lake or stand under a waterfall - not yet but am trying to think how this will happen, the Serpentine in Hyde Park is looking promising!
5. Own a home (the BIG challenge) – Trying not to think about it in case it doesn’t happen yet.
6. Be debt free except from a mortgage if Num 5 happens – aware of this every day.
7. Visit Dickens House – A summer trip or Spring next year with Mum.
8. Go to a soap making workshop - DONE!!!! And now selling soap through my shop.
9. Learn to hang wall paper –Mum has plans for Dad to redecorate some of the house later this year so no doubt I will be roped in.
10. Spend a night on the Norfolk Broads – Well I had the holiday in April and still need to blog about it.
11. Learn to make pastry – Um.....
12. Learn the succession of kings and queens from William the Conqueror in 1066 – Um.....
13. Make and wear my own dress – I have the pattern I want to make and have found the fabric, just need to buy it and make it!
14. Read five books from my bookshelf - I currently own 40 books that I have not yet read - 1 book done Knit the Season, but I need to write a post about it
15. Have a make up lesson – DONE!!! Although I wasn’t all that impressed. I had a free session at Bobbi Brown which was educational and expensive.
16. Do something every day to make me smile – I think I need to start up my journal again, but by the time I get to bed to sit and write Im too tired. But I am taking time to notice more things that make me smile every day like the sun shining over the meads on my drive home at night, a text from a friend or a good song on the radio.
17. Learn to change a car tyre – all I can say to this is ha ha ha ha ha ha!
18. Be able to jog a mile without stopping - with my leg issues this is a BIG thing – I’ve got back to the gym this month with a personal trainer and that is helping me, I think it will take time to get to a mile but didn’t the journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step?
19. Go to Rome or Sorrento – DONE (almost) flight leaves for Rome on September 30^th.
20. Sleep for 6.5+ hours sleep a night consistently – I’m trying really hard at this, I would say I’ve got it to 5.5-6hrs a night on week days which is an improvement.
21. Visit Giant's Causeway – hopefully in Spring
22. Have a dinner party - This is the plan for my 30th birthday
23. Have Butterfly-Crafts mentioned in a newspaper or magazine – DONE!!!! – coverage of the craft fair in the local paper.
24. Sleep under the stars - I havent slept under them but I have been out late at night in a Texan field looking at them and I saw the Milky Way and Saturn.
25. Live as much of a handmade/homemade/economical life as possible - I am developing this as much as possible, making a conscious effort to opt for handmade or homemade where possible and I am learning to live more economically
26. Begin to have the stamina, strength & body shape from pre-leg issues – the gym is definitely helping. I will never be a ‘gym bunny’ but I do feel much better to go after work and at the weekend for a little brain space. I really miss rowing but that’s off limits at the moment, one day though, one day.
27. Watch: Goodfellas, Casablanca, Dr Zhivago, Gone With the Wind, The Philadephia Story, A Street Car Named Desire, Ferri Beulers Day Off, Schindler's List, The Godfather and Citizen Cane – I watched The Godfather the other day but that’s it so far.
28. Go to a comedy club – Soon!
29. Finish my knitted patchwork blanket – Um, I’ve not actually knitted in about 4 months as I have been busy with craft fairs, I need to pick up my needles soon I think.
30. Visit 15 exhibitions at museums and galleries – Well there was Handmade Tales at The Women’s Library, Afghanistan at The British Museum, Out of this world at the British Library, and Eadweard Muybridge at Tate Britain.

I will get to blogging about the individual elements soon when I take August off!