New Year's Resolution: Redefining myself, my brand and my blog.

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I've had various drafts of this post sitting here on blogger, unpublished, for quite some time now. You see, I tend to ramble a lot when I write  and that is completely contrary to the New Year's resolutions I am trying to outline here!

2012 has been a strange year for me. There have been ups and downs, and I feel like I've both accomplished very little and quite a lot at the same time, if that is even possible! Starting this blog and my small business selling handmade goods last August has definitely been a highlight, however I feel as though there is much I need to do this year in terms of redefining myself, my blog and my brand, in order to be successful.

First thing is first,

My Goals For Me:

This year I am moving out of home, starting uni and will be living with my boyfriend for the first time ever (sleepovers every night totally don't count, do they?). All these things are happening all at once (like, this month, eek!) and they are the mark of a completely new chapter in my life. I am completely terrified of what this will bring, and so thought I'd lay down a few resolutions/guidelines to help me through the transition period:

• Be smart with my money - This is important because I have never had bills or rent to pay before, or had to buy my own groceries, and I tend to be a frivolous shopper. I'm hoping to set down a good budget and stick to it throughout 2013.
• Get organised - I am a slob by nature, a mad procrastinator and an absolute stress-head! To get through this year I am going to need a schedule and list for literally everything! I have never had to do so much for myself as I will be doing this year, and to keep up with study, work, my blog and my household I will need to be as organised as possible!
• Be motivated - Typical New Year's Resolution, right? Well, for me, not really! You see, I am currently struggling with my health big time and have battled fatigue all year as a part of my health problems. No diagnosis as yet, but the doctors are thinking lupus, so to be motivated enough to keep up with the lifestyle I will have this year will be a big challenge, and I may have to take baby steps to get there!
• Be myself - This probably sounds kind of silly, but I am someone who has been bullied for most of my life, so having the confidence to be myself, to wear what I want to wear (ahem, vintage!), and do what I want to do is a big thing for me. This year my confidence has absolutely sky rocketed and I'm hoping that I can get to at least 98% happy with who I am by the end of 2013!

This photoshoot is one of the things that has boosted my confidence this year. I'm hoping to model more in 2013, even if only for friends!

My Goals For This Blog

Starting this blog has been one of the best things I've done in 2012, and I'm really hoping that I can make some success out of my writing this year, but to do that there are a few things I need to change, so hopefully these resolutions will lead me to a brighter blogging future in 2013!

• Get focused - When I first started this blog it was supposed to be all about my latest obsession - sewing. It didn't take me long to realise, however, that I do not sew nearly enough to focus a whole blog on the topic, nor do I know enough about it, being a beginner, to write about it in an informative and sophisticated manner. That is why I am working to redefine this blog and what it stands for in 2013. There will be a new layout and a new redefined focus of (broader) DIY, vintage and my soon-to-be-launched etsy shop coming to my blog soon.
• Get organised - Yes, my organisation problems spread to blog-land too! I feel at the moment like I am not nearly as inspired as I could be, nor am I a consistent blogger, and I really feel as though getting organised with my blogging will help to change that. This means jotting down post ideas, having specific focus areas (outlined above), and setting aside a particular day to "work" on my blog, do DIY's, photograph things and write.
• Be social media active and network - This one is simple - in order for my blog and business to thrive, I need to be more connected with social media. This means twitter, facebook, instagram and pinterest. Any others I should add? I also need to be more blog-active - commenting on other blogger's posts instead of just thinking "oh, that's nice!", linking up (although I'm pretty good at that already), sponsoring other blogs, and just generally making friends in the blog world. Since when has a friendly e-mail ever gone astray?

Vintage Bird Girl's guest post on my blog is the one I am most proud of, funnily enough. It is proof , to me, that I put myself out there and tried to make a friend in the blogging world. Leisa was also my first follower on this blog, and gave me the motivation I needed to keep going!

My Goals For My Brand:

Little Foal the brand, as it is now, sells a variety of things. From baby clothes to lavender bags, crochet neclaces to button jewellery. My brand has no focus - it is just a random collection of handmade items, housed in a local craft co-operative's store with a rarely updated facebook page, and that needs to change! There is so much I need to do to get this business properly up and running and to (hopefully) make it successful!

• Get focused - Yep, once again I need to redefine what Little Foal stands for, and if the above is any indication, you might be able to guess the direction I am taking with Little Foal the brand in 2013... Vintage inspired accessories! I will keep on making my crochet necklaces, as well as my yo-yo hair clips, but there will be plenty of new vintage inspired accessories coming out of Little Foal in 2013, many of which will be using vintage materials. My decision to bring focus to my brand and the products I make for it will not limit what I post about on this blog in the slightest - I will still post various DIY projects unrelated to my shop. Nor do I feel as though it is limiting the methods I use to make the products I will sell - in fact, I feel as though by creating a focus area for myself, I am challenging myself to be more creative and try new ways of making pretty accessories. I'm so excited to get this new focus area well and truly underway!
• Launch my Etsy shop - As I mentioned earlier, I am currently selling my products through a local craft co-operative called "The Corner Store". Although I dearly love my fellow co-op members and am passionate about what we do, it is time for me to move on to bigger and better things and use my internet presence to my advantage. Hopefully my Etsy store will be up and running by late February, but due to this massive transition I am about to make, I can't hold any promises!
• Create a designated craft space - EEK! I am so excited about this one! Jake and I will be moving into a two bedroom apartment this month and have struck up the most awesome of deals - I get the spare room and he gets the garage! Mua-ha-ha! (random, evil laugh, but I seriously feel as though I got the carrot and he got the stick here!). The spare room will hopefully present itself as a distraction-free environment for crafting, blogging and uni work - exactly what I need to stay motivated and keep focused! Plus, as an added bonus, I want to fill it to the brim with inspiration to study, craft and bog hard - so prepare for DIY overload once we get settled in! 

Some of the accessories I have made and sold, along with my business card. I am planning on expanding the range of accessories I sell , and launch an etsy shop soon. 

I'm really hoping I can see all of these resolutions through in 2013! I thought long and hard about the most important tasks I have ahead of me and what I need to do to survive this year, and to be completely dedicated to achieving these goals and making this year as perfect and successful as I so desperately want it to be would be just amazing to me. I am a quitter by nature, and rarely see things through even if they are things I enjoy, but I have surprised myself with my blogging and crafting this year, so these resolutions are extra special to me. I think I'll find it hard to do my blogging resolutions until I have gotten over moving and whatnot, but I hope to at least be more focused in what I post, even if I am only posting once a week.

Have you made any New Years Resolutions this year? I would love to hear all about them!

Guest Post: A Few Of My Favourite Things (Vintage Bird Girl)

 

 

 

 

It's an honour to be posting here at Little Foal. Sunae has come a long way in a short period of time, & I for one am looking forward to following her blogging journey.


It's no secret that I love all things vintage....from clothing & accessories, to linen, home wares & furniture. Anything & everything really. I'm not too sure how it all started, but I love the designs & styles of older things. I've been collecting for at least 5 years. I find most things at op shops, & occasionally at vintage stores, & some gets passed onto me too. It's so hard to narrow down my favourite vintage finds as my house is filled with old treasures, but here are some pieces that hold a special place in my heart.

New Zealand deer antlers

My husband & I have always loved deer antlers, but we could never justify spending $200 or more on a set. On a holiday to New Zealand in 2011 we stayed on a farm, & the farmer had a wonderful collection of antlers in his shed. I was admiring his antlers when he asked if I wanted to take some home with me. So we chose two sets of antlers, as I had planned to give one set to my best friend at home. I was so nervous bringing them back to Australia & wondering if customs would allow them through. They gave the all clear to one set, but the other one wasn't as clean, so we had to leave it behind at the airport, much to my friends disappointment! I found a wooden board at an op shop to mount the antlers on, & just needed my Dad's help with his drill. I think this is one of my favourite things because of the happy memories of our time on the farm in our favourite country, as well as the kindness of the farmer. And I feel secretly pleased when I see how much they go for now, knowing I got these for free. You can read more about the antler adventure here.

 

Starburst Clock

 

I'd been searching for an affordable starburst clock for what felt like years. Always checking Ebay & the vintage stores. I discovered this Metamec clock under a pile of other stuff at the Woolloongabba Antique Centre. It was only $40 because the clock mechanism wasn't working, but I knew that could easily be replaced. It felt so good to find something on my vintage wish list, especially when they usually sell for hundreds of dollars.

China Cabinets



These two pieces are very special to me because the large one belonged to my Nana (I remember being fascinated by it as a little girl), & the smaller one was passed onto me by one of my dear friends who is 80 years old & was moving into a nursing home. They hold many precious pieces & they remind me of two lovely women who have a special place in my heart.

 

Tooled bag collection
 

Anyone who reads my blog knows I LOVE accessories. Most of my bags have been found at op shops or occasionally on Ebay. I am especially fond of tooled leather bags. I love the worn leather & the unique designs. They are so sturdy & last forever. These were all purchased at op shops, with the most expensive costing $10.

Mid Century Shelves
 

 

Living in an apartment means I don't have a lot of space for furniture, so when I came across this compact shelving unit at Lifeline I knew it would be the right fit for our home. It cost $25, which is definitely at the higher end of my op shop spending, but these can sell for hundreds of dollars at the vintage stores, so it was a pretty good find.

 

My Jewellery Collection




I've been collecting jewellery since I was a little girl & my collection just keeps on growing. Most of it is found at op shops or gifted to me. The only problem with such a large collection is how to best display it. I use a thrifted spoon rack for long necklaces, a $2 shadow box for special brooches, lots of dishes & containers on my tall boy, & a set of vintage sewing drawers for my beads & bangles.



Vintage Frocks
 

And finally to my beloved frock collection. I've been wearing vintage pretty much all of the time for the last couple of years, & my frock collection has steadily grown over that time. I gravitate towards dresses as I feel most comfortable in them. The majority are op shop finds, & the other great source is Ebay. I think I have somewhere over 50 by now. It's funny though, no matter how many I have I still have days when I feel like I have nothing to wear!


Thanks so much for checking out some of my favourite things. Once you have a passion for vintage the biggest issue is having enough space for your collections. It certainly is addictive, but it's a lot of fun too.

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Thank you so much, Leisa, for guest posting here today - it means so much to me to have such a wonderful blogger as my first guest post!

If you would like to see more of Leisa's wonderful vintage collection, check out her blog at Vintage Bird Girl. Leisa's posts are always so well put together and you will be amazed by all the gorgeous vintage treasures she finds!