Project Committments

I just realized I may be a tad overcomitted. This year (and yes, it is day 4) I have already committed to:

• January Reset (a project where you create a list of home cleaning goals and tackle one a day until your house is clean)
• 500 Words a Day which lasts for who even knows how long, but whatever, because I need to do it and finish this novel anyway
• Finish the novel and get to the point where I am agent shopping this very year, NO EXCUSES
• Take a 12 week writing course starting in 3 weeks 
• 100 Days of Happiness where you take a picture of something that makes you happy every day for 100 days.
• Project Declutter. I just want more clean spaces in my home. 

I need a drink. 

Oh wait, I CAN'T drink. 

*sigh*

• Also, I was kind of thinking of doing a creative project a week. Or month. Or season. I don't want to overcommit to creative projects. That never goes well. 

What creative projects do you have in mind for 2014?

Some resources for home projects. (We rent so we can't do too many major overhauls, but there are plenty of options for making our space better!)

Project organization inspiration - love this! I think my special favorites are #2 and #7. I've been wanting to do #7 for so long. We have such nice high ceilings at our place!

Swedish living - Project declutter stems from my instant oohs and aahs when I see any Swedish living space. Does my house look even remotely close to that clutter free? Ha. Ha. Ha. I should take a clue from what I like. 

2014 Fitness

I want to be fit and healthy, but at the moment I really don't have time for a complete lifestyle change. I think I'm going to do the Lauren Conrad Bikini Boot Camp because it sounds intense without being ridiculous. Plus I like the daily exercise, plus the mix-and-match exercises. I really just want to get more cardio in my life.

Here's the fitness plan. I love it because I think Lauren Conrad is just so cute anyway.

I'm currently doing a cleanse that my friend recommended to me. I think I've finally ruled out an ulcer because the pain is there, but it's not constant and it's not triggered by the same things every time. Sometimes citrus doesn't bother me at all, and if it was an ulcer that would always hurt. I've also ruled out gluten sensitivity because while I can't seem to drink beer, I can eat bread and other wheat products. The pain is in different places every time too. Such a mystery! But anyway, hopefully this cleanse will at least knock everything out and help me start over fresh.

(To be honest, I am only doing the cleanse with half dedication...but I'm getting there. It takes longer than I thought it would to cut all sugar. That bag of half used semi sweet chocolate chips sitting on my counter will be the death of me! Every time I eat one I'm like "but it's ORGANIC!")

Maybe I'll update you on this, maybe I won't. We'll see. 

2013 Wrap-Up

It's only December 27, but I'm ready to wrap up 2013. It hasn't been a bad year, but it hasn't been a great one either, so cheers to new beginnings. (Non-alcoholic cheers, of course.)

Between hospital visits (not mine, though this week I came pretty darn close) and a few personal health concerns, this year took a weird downward swoop, but at least there were still a good many things to be excited about. Here are my highlights:

• Husband had his ACL repaired and it was totally successful
• Went on vacation to Tennessee and stayed in a sweet cabin with my family
• Started physical therapy for my rotator cuff injury, rocked it, and feeling good as new now
• Celebrated my first wedding anniversary and I'm more than halfway to another one now
• Wrote a lot of drafts of my novel and working on an advanced draft now--I call that success! 
• Got not one but two visits from my BFF, as well as a bunch of other visits from a bunch of really awesome friends! 
• Started working out more...running! Yikes. Never thought I'd do that. 
• Ate much healthier all year. Yay, organics. 

The big thing for 2014 is the goal setting. No more 13 different goals. Forget that. I have just a few. 

1. Finish the novel. 
2. Keep living healthy. 
3. Travel more. 

I'd like to expand my wish list for 2014, but you know what...I'm not going to. That looks pretty good to me. 

The Vegetarian Journey

I'm not there yet. I'm just planning the journey. Buying guidebooks, learning the language, getting my passport renewed. Things like that. I'm excited about it though! I've never successfully tried a vegetarian diet, but for health reasons I'd really like to give it a shot. The goal is to begin in the early part of September and consume no meat for the month, then by October I would like to transition in a dairy-free state. I am only going to make it an 8 week adventure, and we'll see how I feel about it as I go. You never know...it might be something I choose to stick with!

New Years' Resolution Mid-Year Check-In

These were my 13 resolutions for 2013. My response is below each one.

What? I can take sexy selfies in my car too, you know.

New Years' Resolutions for 2013

1. This year my #1 most important goal is to complete the novels that I strove so hard to write in the first place. I have never yet successfully revised a novel to completion, but I dream of it, and that which you dream of you ought to achieve, lest your life be wasted. So when all else fails, this dream must be my main focus. That's why it's #1. 

Not going so well. I have only added another several to the list of incomplete novels, as well as adding about 30,000 words to a novel without adding a single bit of coherence to it. Need to get on the ball with this.

2. Next, I want to learn to sew and do it well. My husband bought me a sewing machine for Christmas and I've already done a few silly, pattern-less projects on it and they've turned out all right for a first-timer. I want to be able to make myself an article of clothing, and to create gifts for my friends and family this year. 

 

Going well. I've made quite a bit. 

3. I hope to work extra hard on promoting TreasuredDetails. I love my little shop, and it's been a source of joy for me since I started it in June 2010. I just love creating beautiful designs for people who appreciate them and can't wait to be called upon to do more. This goal involves me trying to enter a craft or bridal show this year as well! 

 

Did not do much with TD, though I have made a few sales! Including one I just remembered I need to ship....

4. Keep a journal. I've already been working on this one and made a post about it a few weeks ago. See that post here.

It's sporadic at best.

5. Travel outside the U.S. I want to make it my goal to visit England this year, but I'm not sure if that one's in the cards this time. If not, Canada will do :)

Ha, good one. I've barely left the state of Indiana this year.

6. Spend some time visiting friends. I have a lot of friends around the country, and since I moved away from home in 2012, I learned the value of friends who want to visit (as well as their actual visits!) and I want to do the same for my faraway friends.

See #5

7. Make new friends! I am determined to be less antisocial in my new city, to get involved in things, and to meet new people. And that means more people than my friendly neighborhood Starbucks baristas!

I made 2 new friends this year. Sort of.

8. Join a Bible study group.

Fail.

9. Organize and downsize my life! Moving has taught me that I own too much stuff. I want to store the stuff I need and lose the stuff I don't. I want to make my house neat and organized, with a minimum of clutter and knickknacks.

Project reorganization never continued beyond my closet, though everything is still poised for the job. I think I will plan to work on those projects once Nick is traveling during harvest season.

10. Eat healthy. My husband and I try not to eat UNhealthy, but our efforts to eat healthy come in spurts. I'd like to include more fresh vegetables and meats into our diet and remove more sugars and artificial ingredients.

We are doing MUCH better in this department. This one is a win.

11. Resume winter workout. I started a body bulking workout before Christmas, but time is not in my favor over the holidays. I haven't decided whether my body is ready for weights or if I'd rather venture into something like yoga, because I do truly need some flexibility! But I will be doing something this year.

Shoulder injury shorted me on this one, and I still haven't really resumed. This is also a fall activity in the works.

12. Write more letters. I feel like the lost art of letter writing has really gotten lost. I used to write letters non-stop, and it's just tapered off over the years. Friends, I've just bought some new stationary. You'll hear from me soon :)

I wrote a few in the winter, been thinking about some, but I'm just too busy!

13. Relax more. I really need to learn to relax, and I don't mean sleep. I mean de-stress! I haven't felt anything less than all keyed up since I started college, and that was almost a decade ago. I remember what they say about stress levels and early death (remember, but can't think about it because it stresses me out. Figures!)

Still working on this one. 

 

See you in 5 months for a final summary and a brand new list. Maybe 13 whole resolutions was a little ambitious...

Moons

Have you ever looked at a crescent moon and been able to see the full moon forming all around it?

My experience is that once you see that, you can never unsee it again. Does it ruin moon viewing for you? I think it enhances it for me. I am a complete picture kinda girl.

MIBA

Missing in Blogging Action

This summer has been...less than I expected it to be. It's been exhausting and overwhelming, not to mention underwhelming. I know, it sounds like an oxymoron, and maybe it is, because this summer has been very conflicting. Things have looked up, then turned downward, all summer long. I was really looking forward to taking some trips, having some adventures, doing some writing...I feel like I've spent the entire summer canceling plans, sitting in waiting rooms, driving all over the place for anything but "fun and adventure" and recovering. (The recovery part has been the most "fun" because it usually involves a few beers, but the bad part is I'm usually so exhausted after the second one that I fall asleep. Fun = over.)

So, I want to say "I'm back," but with the unexpected nature of all that's been getting in my way this summer, who's to say what "back" really means? How about this. I want to be back, and I will make an effort to make that truly happen.

This print seemed like the appropriate closer for this post, although to be honest, the "time" factor has been a little out of my hands this summer! I suppose I could restrict myself to a single beer and a little work instead of being so darn lazy ;)