Lately looking at my abandoned craft box and sewing machine are making me cringe. As does looking at any of my dusty instruments, particularly my cello which needs repair and hasn't been played in nearly 2 years.

I am feeling like I either need to get off my arse and do something with them or sell/give them to someone who will.

What hobbies do you all have that have fallen by the wayside due to life/work getting in the way and what have you done to make the time to get back into them if indeed you have?

And for those of you who still have active hobbies, what do you do? When do you find the time?

Feel free to post pics if you are of the crafty type. I'd love some inspiration.

~spidey

Electronics, mechanics and programming for fun. I'm itchy to start up some kind of craft thing. Maybe steampunk as I can metal-bash some brass. What I would not give to have a machine shop...

I have not knitted in ages. I have all different gauges of knitting needles, had tons of yarn (before the mother went on her knitting spree and used it all up ), but I've not knitted in almost three years I'd say. The only reason I got back into knitting then was because I was on FMLA for three months when I had surgery and well... the internet can only entertain one so much.

I'm hoping when I'm done with school that maybe I'll be able to have more time to devote to that.

I like to write full length (90,000-130,000 word) romance novels for the fun of (maybe be published one day). However between work, school, kids, and never having the peace and quiet to write it usually falls to the wayside more often than not. I rarely write now days, even though it still remains one of my greatest loves.

I used to write... smut. I kinda miss those days. I didn't even think about that. My muse kinda became comatose when my ceiling fell in about four years ago. I have about three unfinished stories. Hardly full-length though. They were actually based off of two characters on a show (it was a fan site for this particular pairing).

My hobbies are usually active and abandoned at different points in time. My hobbies are quilting, sewing, drawing, writing, bjds, photography, playing rpgs, that sort of thing. I quilted and sewed a lot when I was younger (about 10-12 years ago) and just recently picked back up so I've forgotten most everything I once knew. RPGs have been pretty much the only consistently active hobby I've ever had.

How do I make time? I'm probably not the best influence here...I tend to slack in classes where I know I can (I have B's in two classes I haven't attended since the start of the semester), generally avoiding responsibilities. I'll make sure my house is clean and work is done and then it's off to do something fun rather than something responsible.

I've recently resurrected my writing. How do I make time? I pencil it in just like any other obligation. Sometimes, I get a little less sleep because of it, but it's worth it. It has taken me nearly two years of motherhood to figure out that I have to take care of myself in addition to taking care of my family. Writing is my "me" time, and it has made the hours I spend with Toby and/or my husband even more fulfilling than they already were.

I still feel guilty when I look at my piano, though. I started playing when I was four, and I played every day until my second year of college (so 15 years) when I switched from a music major to a communications major. I haven't played consistently since then (so 15 years), and I hate how much ability I've lost. I plan to get my piano tuned after my holiday visit to my family, and I might even invest in lessons to help me regain what I lost.

I guess I'm riding on an epiphany I had a couple of weeks ago. I woke up one morning bored to tears with my hair. I've never been on to have a hairstyle that required a lot of work, but I had always colored it because I hate my natural color. However, when I started graduate school and then got pregnant with Toby, I stopped doing even that, reasoning that I had no money for the salon and no time or money to do it at home. But a couple of weeks ago, it hit me. If I couldn't find an hour a month to do one thing for myself, I had bigger problems than my hair.

And I guess that's led to the mentality of "If I can't find half an hour in the day for me, I have bigger problems than the floors needing mopped." Now, I usually take that time while Toby is sleeping, so piano practice might be a bit more difficult to fit in, but I'll work it out. I see no reason why I can't play the piano while Toby is playing with his toys. I've always wanted to encourage him to learn an instrument anyway. What better way to do that than to let him see and hear me do it?

I haven't played the piano in at least a few years, and I always feel guilty when I go into the den and see it sitting there. I love to play, but I just can't seem to find the time. I'm hoping this winter I'll have a little more spare time to indulge myself.

I don't know if my hobbies are 'abandoned' I just have dry spells in between my productivity. This year since oth of the kids are in school it was supposed to be my time to get more dolls finished since I have tons of them in varying degrees of started, halfway finished, almost finished, need to get X to finish it..etc. what actually happened, however, is that my husband decided to change his hours at work so that he only goes in one morning a week. What this means is that I only get 1 day out of 7 that I can actually do anything. The rest of the week my husband is home bugging me about not spending time with him(wtf? I spend so much time with him that I need a vacation!) or I have to clean house and exercise and before you know it the kids are home. I swear, exercising has become a freaking job!

I'm attempting to get some faerie dolls made for my nieces and sent out by Christmas.

My dolls include a ton of other, smaller hobbies that I've learned(badly) over the years. Painting, sewing and sculpting are just a few. Then there's photography. I freakin hate photography. I like taking good pix, but it's such a tedious bitch of a process to get even 2 good ones!

I was attempting to learn bass, but that's pretty much gone by the wayside for the moment. Maybe I'm too olde to learn an instrument, anyway.

I"m of the opinion that you're never too old to learn anything, Wolfy. ^_^

Thanks, Crow! ^_^ If I start getting a little more caught up with other stuff...oh wait, I'm starting school soon. Maybe sometime before I die I'll properly learn bass, lol.

I agree. My brother started taking up guitar in his mid-40s I wanna say (once his kid was in high school). I'm 33 and want to learn how to play once I'm done with school. Age be damned.

I am SO glad I started this thread because it inspired me to get off my ass and do something. I made my first piece of jewelry in nearly 3 years this afternoon while my son was napping! I feel so happy at having done it!

I think, as Scarlett said, I will have to balance my mommy time with my me time. And maybe I will stop doing (so much) uncreative crap during my precious spare time.

~spidey

My three desk drawers chock-full of watercoloring supplies. I was never particularly great at it, but it was such a wonderful stress-reliever.

Theatre. I'm trying to get back into it by taking an acting class next quarter (well, auditioning for one, anyway). It was my passion for a long, long while. I deeply enjoy literature, and teaching and research, but acting....acting I love.

P.S.--Spidey: pics?

Yes, pix! Please?

Geez, I need to take pix of all the jewelry I've made. I always count that with my wardrobe(sewing) DIY stuff.