Tegan's Corner: Fall and Winter Bucket List

Finally going analogue! I've had my Android for maybe six or seven years now, and I've had the option to upgrade for several years now, but I just can't part with it. This is because it's a 2019 model, the most recent one that still equips a headphone jack. I vowed I will never use wireless earbuds, ever. And now I'm getting a little tired of it, all the Instagram stalking and doom-scrolling I just can't seem to get away from. I'm sometimes the kind of person that has to force myself to do things I know will be good for me.

I've been meaning to do this since summer, especially a writing date, but I can't seem to get it together with all the school work and regular work. I can't wait to have a little break in the wintertime to treat myself to a local place, maybe one I've never been to before!

I love to host any kind of party, and I think this season I'm gonna work on really stepping up my game. The issue I run into most with this is the funding. A simple solution, a potluck-style bring-what-you-can dinner party! There are typically only a handful of us there, and I know a few of us really love to cook (I'm not one of them). So it could save me time and effort and allow them some fun!

I love to make handmade cards embellished with all the "junk" I can get my hands on, complete with a wax seal. I adore any kind of hand-written letters. It's truly an underrated art form. I used to write them often, but over time the inspiration and people to write them to kind of fell away. Still, I always want to show those I may not see often a piece of myself and let them know I still love them and think about them. What better way with a handmade craft and heartfelt note in your own handwriting, lovingly addressed and stamped.

My mom makes the best s'mores! They're a yearly treat for us, without the hassle of going outside and worrying about fire safety in the driest season of the year. We are always overly concerned with fire safety at my house, and our preferred method of making s'mores is in the oven. Over the years I've discovered this method to be a little controversial! Some people think it's really about the experience of sitting around a bonfire and roasting marshmallows with loved ones. That's a wonderful experience, but one that's more tailored to my own anxieties is standing around the oven together putting together s'mores and waiting around together while they bake. It matters much less to me what we're doing than who we're doing it with.

I started a new tradition last year when I was feeling like a brand new restart. I started making vision boards for the year on Notion--an app I absolutely rely on. My usual Pinterest board just wasn't doing enough for me--I needed the notes function to create something I could look at frequently and check off lists of resolutions. It's also way more aesthetic, if you use it properly!

I mostly work on contract, going from job to job and having some periods, sometimes long periods, without any work. I often find myself really stretching for money. Because of these financial dry periods, I'm not always very good at managing the money when I have it. This year, I'm aiming to be more mindful of this and thrift or hand craft all of my Christmas gifts. I was a little concerned, even though I know my people wouldn't love me any less for this, nor would they even be surprised at this decision. But I thought it over, and my very favorite gifts each year are always the ones that are vintage, antique, thrifted, a little beaten and worn. These are the gifts I tend to cherish most. And if they're handmade, it's just priceless, no matter what it is.

Originally, this was going to be a third draft of my novel Burnt by a Million Stars, but during my revision process, I kept expanding things and expanding things well beyond my revision limits. Therefore, this draft is turning into another first draft. (Read more about this here!) It's nearly a completely different novel, and I may even need to change the title! I'm currently working on the outline, and I'm aiming to finish that by the end of November, and finish the draft by New Years. That'll give me a month of writing NaNoWriMo style!

Tegan's Corner