It’s 2016. No, really? Yes! Actually, it’s a week into 2016 and it’s time to put a little tick against two of my New Year resolutions.

They are just little ticks. More like tick fractions. (What do you call a fraction of a tick? A tickle?) Rather than choose a nice, neat, easily achievable once-off resolution I chose year-long resolutions.

I made two last year, as I celebrated the end of 2015 with good friends, delicious bubbles and beautiful fresh Coffin Bay oysters on a balmy South Australian evening:

1. Use my recipe books. As in, cook from them!

I love recipe books. I love reading them, admiring the photos, gleefully sprinkling sticky-notes through their pages as I plan dinner parties.

And then, I resort to my tried-and-true week-night meals.

So yes, this year, my resolution is to try a new recipe from one of my many, gorgeous, gifted recipe books at least once a week.

Progress: I cooked Maggie Beer’s delicious chicken braised with figs, honey and vinegar last night and it was scrumptious. I used home-grown figs from a friend, local honey and of course, Maggie’s verjuice.

Verdict: Mr M loved it after a day in the shearing sheds. He gave me ‘Maggie Beer’s Kitchen’ for Christmas so was pleased I put it to use.

2. Turn my love of pretty things into something. Anything.

I love clothes. I have an enviable shoe collection. I lust after pretty objects. But, my real life does not reflect my wardrobe life.

I no longer have a fast-paced job in the city. I no longer travel across the country. I no longer live near shops.

I work from home, in a rural area.

Still, it seems a shame to release all my pretty things into the wild and, as my credit card and the very patient lady at our local post office will confirm, my online shopping habits are not easing. Let’s just say I take ‘Windows’ shopping to a new level…

Progress: So, what will I do? I’m going to try my hand at blogging (hello, welcome, thank you!) and Instagraming (check me out, @MRSM_LOVES) as forums to share the lovely things and places I stumble across this year, if only for myself as a record of what made me smile in 2016.

Verdict: I dusted off a WordPress blog I created in 2013 (unused), renamed it and just wrote a post. I have 20 posts on Instagram and 15 followers (not counting all the ones I blocked, hello Insta-spammers!), not to mention some good engagement in the form of likes and comments from shops and designers I tagged in posts.

I’ll leave you with my latest Instagram post, with a few of my new and old favourite things:

 

Love, Mrs M