I love the idea of phases. Last year I was in a cooking phase. I often found myself perusing allrecipes.com and picking up food magazines as I waited to check out. Evenings were often spent stirring up new recipes. This year I have naturally turned my attention to home remodeling and home decor, as well as gardening. I find myself looking through portfolios of pictures on Flicker of Domino designed rooms, looking at the model rooms in Pottery Barn and Better Homes and Garden magazines, and other random blogs I find. Lately, however as our home is moving towards the decorating stage, I have suddenly been enticed by crafting. I want to make pillows to match the duvet cover I eventually buy, I want to sew curtains for the kitchen, eventually our bedroom, and perhaps some bathrooms. The options are endless. . . so it seems everytime I walk through a Joann. (I always thought it was Joann’s, nope.) The trouble is I have no materials at all to start such projects. I guess I’ll slowly start acruing.

I find myself wishing I had more time to read. Perhaps that will be my next phase. We’ll finish up the rest of our projects on the main floor and then take a break and start reading more.

Then, every other week or so I get this hankering to make artisan bread. Have you ever tried? My mom says it’s easy. I love good bread. Ever since I allowed myself to walk through the doors, and actually purchase some bread at a fantastic local bakery, “On the Rise,” I have craved it more and more often. I can’t afford to purchase it all the time, so I guess I’ll have to learn how to make it!

What phases have you gone through? Do you manage to keep up past hobbies while taking on new ones?