It's Day 27 of March Meet The Maker and the theme is: Routine.

I must admit this is something I just don't seem to have.

My hours, days and weeks vary so much - for example at the moment (March 27th) I'm away from home and won't really be back home again, and back to my work at home, until May 3rd, and I find it pretty hard to have much of a routine when travelling.

Even when I'm at home for long periods of time it's hard to have a set routine. One day I may be out of the house teaching and then I'm sitting at my laptop for days at a time drawing diagrams. On a Monday I can be beading a new design or writing a book. Tuesday then I may be packing up post or proof-reading instructions.

There are some set periods of work through the year and deadlines I have to meet i.e. next years classes all finalised by August, each months newsletter ideally at the beginning of the month, a Christmas Secret beadalong in December, my tax return in April (or more usually in January just before the deadline!) but my working on them is spread through days, weeks and months and depends on what else may be more urgent to be done.

I enjoy this way of working and needing to respond to new demands and not be set in a routine as it means I can adapt to new events and ideas and fit my work around creative, health and even weather highs and lows.

It does mean though that my trusty wall-planner (which helps give me an overview of my year ahead) and plans of the next 2 years sit by my desk to help me see what's happening and then my daily diary (which helps me keep track of individual appointments) are all essential life tools.

Today in New York - who knows? This is the only photo I took and the days are all beginning to blur into one.