I swear to you guys, I never planned a break from here it just worked out this way.
Last December I spent a lot of time thinking how to maximise my productivity in terms of work output yet to keep the life/work satisfaction on a fair level. 2011 has been a busy year, I toiled away on the Boys' book through most of the year. The whole process was exciting and so fulfilling but also a little intimidating. Fulfilling because there's a collection to put together, it's exciting, and it's up to me what to include. Intimidating because there's a collection to put together, it's scary, and it's up to me what to include and I am not a decision person. Heck, picking a meal at a restaurant usually takes me about 20 minutes unless my dear husband is there and can put me out of my misery. And so I was between high and low through most of the year, at some point I stopped getting out of the house unless I really had to (plus the school runs), crowded places got me really worked up to the point of starting to hyperventilate just at a prospect of going into a crowded place. Then it just got into a habit and it was an easy decision to make, just not to go anywhere. Yet I like being around people, not random people of course but I missed my knitting group for example. And the highs and lows wear me out too much, although I love the energy and how I can be on top of the world one day, I only need a little brush with someone to be in the dumps for weeks afterwards.
I have noticed that routine helps a lot with the mood and feeling self-contious and here's what I've got so far:

1. I signed up for a painting course - I haven't painted in 9 years and it feels good to get back into it.*

2. There are also a bunch of craft projects that I'd like to finish that I started last year, like quilting and house decorating that would be great for blogging too.

3. Planning work in advance. This one is very exciting, I think it'll help with work schedule a little. For a while now I felt that I often play catch up with a season, where I have an idea for a design a few weeks into the new season but other work preventing me from finishing it on time. It's not very exciting to try and release a summer top towards the end of the summer when everyone is planning for the following winter. Lo and behold, I am planning for 2013 at the beginning of this year and feeling only a little smug about it :)

I thought it would be great to have some blog routine as well.
Trying to come up with something that is long term.

* Although it feels like I don't know what I am doing half the time.