goal check in.

Until I read that we're into the 26 week of the year, I completely forgot I'd written goals for this year. What the? Time to refocusfocus on these for real now.

Good news though, even though I wasn't intentional with my work on most of these I have been working on some of them.

As I work to have more balance in my life with health, good food, laziness, excitement, relationship strengthening, solitary time and friendship I want to be more intentional with that thought process. I don't want to feel overwhelmed, but consider my decisions and the alternatives thoughtfully.

I'll carry this word with me through 2012 and while tackling these four resolutions. 

1. lose weight. get fit. but seriously, lose a serious bit of with like a final goal of forty to fifty pounds. whew! it's going to take some serious work and i'm glad (very, very, glad) to have matt along with me to get this done.
2. save at least $3000! and be more financially responsible. this year i learned to really budget and next year i need to learn how to SAVE and not over spend.
3. be on time. i tend to be a tardy to things and all this achieves is stress. seriously, i'm an adult. it's time to be timely.
4. develop solid communication skills. i feel awkward in somea lot of social situations and i'd love to be the person who always felt comfortable and could put others at ease. 

Number one and three have been mostly neglected.

Number two has been respected although any money that would have been saved has been put towards large financial obligations (a fence, a venue down payment). 

Number four, I'm actively working on this. Although I think that I may always keep a general feeling of discomfort in many social and work settings I think I know how to handle it and where it comes from. (introvert for the win!)

we rang in the new year / ate lots of good food / flew to florida & and went red (head) / went skiing

it snowed / we drank beer / moved a bit / drank wine on a staycation

dressed up in anticipation / cleaned up the yard / received good things / went to dinner

and picked our drinks from an ipad / ate outside / bought flowers in rain / caught venus just before the sun sunk below the clouds

whined for food and wine at whine / started and finished the hunger games / drank out of cats / harvested basil

it's been a good year so far and i bet it will keep getting better!

<3

reflection and resolution

I love this time of year, the end of it. It's a time for reflection and resolution. love. it.

 source

I thought I had done pretty well on my list of resolutions but it seems that I only managed to cross run a (baby) triathlon, make and stick to a budget, clean up and keep my computer organized (and blog reader) and make more lists. So that leaves me with seven overlooked resolutions...

1. Take an academic course.

2. Sew (crafty goodness!).

4. Get a tattoo (or two).

5. (Look into) taking piano lessons.

7. Compile Grandma's recipes and history of my house.

8. Spend more time outside off of my list. 

10. Stick to a cleaning schedule.

That's okay though, I had a pretty damn good year. It was spent training for the triathlon, loving Matt and the kitties, and friends and family, eating and drinking lots of good food and drink. 

I'm taking a smaller approach to 2012's resolutions. Last year I separated my word, balance, from my resolutions but this year it is a resolution of it's own. Expanding on balance and looking at my list of 26 things before 27, which I have yet to post, where I saw a lot of the word "conscious" I chose intentional. The word struck a chord with me while reading this post from Kyla. 

"taking a moment to savour the little moments that knit everything together can slow down time to a stand still." -miss roma

As I work to have more balance in my life with health, good food, laziness, excitement, solitary time and friendship I want to be more intentional with that thought process. I don't want to feel overwhelmed, but consider my decisions and the alternatives thoughtfully.

I'll carry this word with me through 2012 and while tackling these four resolutions.

1. lose weight. get fit. but seriously, lose a serious bit of with like a final goal of forty to fifty pounds. whew! it's going to take some serious work and i'm glad (very, very, glad) to have matt along with me to get this done.
2. save at least $3000! and be more financially responsible. this year i learned to really budget and next year i need to learn how to SAVE and not over spend.
3. be on time. i tend to be a tardy to things and all this achieves is stress. seriously, i'm an adult. it's time to be timely.
4. develop solid communication skills. i feel awkward in somea lot of social situations and i'd love to be the person who always felt comfortable and could put others at ease. 

 source

That's it. That's all she wrote. Four goals for 2012.


tips on resolution making and keeping:
elsie.  no meat athlete. today's letters.


talking about resolutions, reflections and things for the new year:
kelle (home in michigan!) plus a birthday post.  rachel investing in 2011. gentri lee's fun goals. a recap of a full and lovely year from ashlee. a look back from lisa leonard. the lovely couple of today's letters 2011 review.

one little word:
cherish. up.

a lovely assortment for your friday [it's still!] morning!

July: one. be diligent about getting workouts in, at least three a week.  two. oh budget, hello there. three. enjoy every moment, especially because it's my birth month. three. walk to get ice cream at least once. four. eat at tikitaki. five. manage my magazines. six. comb the cats every other day. seven. wear a pretty dress once a week. {some fun, some usual, one challenging. trying to keep it simpler.}

1.   The best news I ever received was probably that I got the job at Delta, everything else has fallen into place after that - home, kitties, Matt.

2.  Something I'm looking forward to is this month, mostly planned but a free weekend out there, and all good plans that make my little life quite special. (fireworks, birthday, friends/great lake Huron, chain of lakes on the boat) Bring it on July.

3.  Something I would never do is, well I'm sure there are things but I'm totally drawing a blank right now. Or maybe I'm feeling very open today...

4.  If I could choose someone to be my life coach (famous or not, living or dead), I'd choose my train4change coach, Carla Murphy. She lives with such an open heart, she's a beast at triathlon, she's an Ironwoman, she has a great family, and she drinks beer and always has a burger when we're out to eat. My kind of woman.

5.  If I had to put a label on my style it would be colorful and cozy.

6.  One should always  follow your heart/laugh/as Lauren said, be kind to others.

7.  I want to get some things on my tangible to do list accomplished today, as much as I also want to just stay on the computer all day. Why am I so damn lazy?

now you.

: red

Rouge- crimson, pomegr... TCaponePhoto $30.00

33% Off SALE Red Flyer ... Raceytay $20.10

Photograph: Red Chilis... LeighsPhotosAn... $75.00

Georgia red peony 8x10 ... mistflowerphot... $21.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio. 

Summer Colours Week : yellow / pink / blue / : rainbow

Aw, it's the final day. I'm obsessed with making treasuries now. Imagine that. :)

Happy, Happy Summer

 estetiska

We're welcoming summer here in mid-Michigan with a cloudy day. There is rain in the forecast, but finally, it FEELS like summer and here it is! So many days really do look like this:
 

Pure Michigan, Narrated by Woody. ;)

Inspired by the beautiful Lisa Leonard, I think I'd like to do a little a SUMMER TODO List!

Swim in a GREAT LAKE. DANCE in the rain. Have backyard BONFIRES. Stay up late and listen to a THUNDERSTORM. Take more PICTURES with my love. This is just a start... I'd like to read  What are you most looking forward to this summer?

Dear Jennifer

Summer Links | summer mantle | cliff jumping | berry dish

My Grandparents blueberry farm, Oak Ridge Blueberries which doesn't 

have any web presence, but you could use your telephone 

to find out hours and opening day. 989-862-5039

this is my brain today, jumping

I keep thinking it's Friday, probably because I'm probably taking tomorrow off. woohoo! (bowling banquet = too much fun)

It's Maundy Thursday. I like that term. Maundy. I first came across it in The Girl Who Played with Fire which takes place over Easter weekend if I remember correctly. Only 245 days until the release of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!!! Can't wait to see Rooney Mara as Lisbeth.

via

I think I need this. It would so help me keep track of my cash spendings! & charges. lists!

Money Receiptables - Handy Organizers by Knock Knock

Tomorrow I hope to clean and organize and purge my closets. With Matt moving in, well I suppose the boy's going to need some space. There will be lists.

so, so organized. but please not so pink.

reality check: budget

I overspent, not just spent, enough to buy this plane ticket in March:

$571 RT flight from Saginaw to London (MBS-LHR) 

A freaking (pissing!) flight to London from my home airport. And actually, nearly two...That's alarming.

Why is it so hard for me to stick to a budget? I cheated in February and told myself I succeeded because most of what I overspent came out of my savings. In March I put everything in the total spent column until the very end of the month. A portion of what I spent did come out of savings but not nearly that much.

One of my goals for my twenty-fifth year was not to not spend outside of my budget and I'm definitely not succeeding. NOTE: I AM NOT IN DEBT EITHER. I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN MY SAVINGS TO SPEND AS I DO. It's frustrating when I consider myself a responsible, money conscious person and yet I overspend like this. I'm not saving like I should be considering I own a home and love to travel or that I want a comfortable retirement.

"We hate to break it to you, but your financial priorities aren’t last-minute concert tickets or weekend-long birthday celebrations. They’re a little more serious than that: your priorities are making sure that you have enough money to sustain you in an emergency situation, enough to fund your life in retirement, and enough to finance your dreams." http://www.learnvest.com/pages/article/LV-Top-5-Have-A-Savings-Plan

When I read this it makes so much sense. I know budgeting is important. So this month I'm pledging to make a budget and honestly stick to it. If it's not in the budget I WILL NOT BUY IT. This will decrease my regular spending to a third of what I have been spending. A definite adjustment.

I'm happy to say that when I told Matt about my plan he asked, "What can I do to help." I love that kid, he's such a great guy.

From my twentyfive before twentysix:

"8. make and actively stick to a budget, if it's not in the budget don't buy it, no more retrospective"

and 

9. buy toms

Seriously, that's what follows my be responsible grown up goal. follow a budget. Good, now buy something! sounds about right. so i'm actually going to use this as my goal.

If I stick to my budget, which will include the Tom's, I will purchase a pair at the beginning of May.

  

Classic Canvas

"TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about. The TOMS mission transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support." http://www.toms.com/our-movement/movement-one-for-one

I'm honestly excited to work towards this goal. Twelve days in and I am over half way to my budget. Money goes faaaast.

This is post 151, I was going to do a big hoopla but since I've been lagging in my posting I'm just saying hey, say hello if you would. I'd love to know who's reading.

April Goals

There haven't been a lot of blog posts here, I'm missing it but... I feel out of it. I feel very unbalanced. I know that I am not actively working towards my goals for the year, month or 25before26 the way I thought I would. I knew this a month ago - a very long month - when I wrote it out as a goal. I'm frustrated. I've stopped tracking my training, my eats and it's probably why I didn't do FOUR goals for the FOURTH month yet. Gah. I don't want to whine, but I do want to get this frustration off my chest and writing it out seems like a great way.

Update: I started writing this on Friday and today, Monday, I'm feeling much more positive. It was probably the warm weekend and productivity in the yard and good times with loved ones. Whatever the reason, I'll take it. I feel refreshed and ready for this week!

But we're still going to go here... my sources of frustration:


working out sucks up my free time . I'm slow to get into the gym, slow on the treadmill, and slow to get dressed. It takes longer than it seems it should. When I work out once I get home I just want to sit and stare. So when I work 50 feet from the gym and get out of work at 4:30 it seems like I could get home by 6:30 not 7. What am I supposed to do when Green Friday's start and I don't get out until 5:30 not get home till 8?! Boo. Thank goodness for Wellness time.  I thought working out was supposed to give me more energy. I'm not there yet. I do feel the changes, and I need to focus on them.

not keeping my house tidy/lack of organization . When I get home I drop my stuff and sit instead of preparing for tomorrow. My laundry doesn't get completely finished on the weekends. I can't find my workout socks. It's not easy to step into the kitchen and cook. I worry that Matt gets frustrated by it. It's tidier than it has been, but not where I would like it to be.

cooking fewer yummy meals than I'd like. . see above, cluttered kitchen, boo. Also cooking is kind of overwhelming - picking a recipe, having all the ingredients, the time it takes and unsuccessful attempts. If I just take a breath, get the ingredients organized and read through a recipe before I start it's so satisfying!

time on my own . All the time I get to spend with my love is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but I sometimes wonder how much I'm missing the time I spend on my own. It's been about six weeks since our last day apart and I love it, I do. But I wonder if I'd feel more balanced with an evening to myself, one human heartbeat in the house. Matt and I talked about this Sunday, and I feel better getting it off my chest. I didn't want to blindside him with, well I really don't want to see you tonight, and he totally gets it. Thank goodness.

lack of balance . This all comes down to my word of the year, balance. I think I can do it all, if I balance it out - one or two recipes a week, one night alone once a week or every two weeks (or when needed), better time management of workouts and tidying the house each evening. It sounds so simple and this month I hope to consciously work towards these goals.

FOUR GOALS FOR THE FOURTH MONTH

ONE. Actively work to feel more balance, make a daily list of goals and must do's when needed.
TWO. Bringing this forward from March: KEEP IT TIDY/FINISH ORGANIZING/Get my home ready for Matt to move in!
THREE. Make and stick to an official budget.
FOUR. When there's sun, get some freakin' sun!/Get outside when it's over 50. 45? 


And how did I do in March? ONE. KEEP IT TIDY/FINISH ORGANIZING. Mediocre. TWO. MORE SPECIAL DATE NIGHTS. I'd like to think so. THREE. WORK ON/REEVALUATE/PRIORITIZE MY LISTS Not so good, will work on it more this month.


Check out: Elsie's post on finding time to have a life. 

Well this sure is a lot of words for a Monday... so here's a nice reminder.

 

cosmic

marching into march

so welcome to a new month. we're going to go a little random today, because that's the best.

this morning i made a list. my first of many this month hopefully. i need to keep myself on track and lists will help! what's on this list you ask, well i was just about to tell you. CHANGE CAT LITTER, PICK UP MAIN FLOOR AND SWIFFER, FINISH LAUNDRY. it's not a very exciting list, but you see we cleaned (and cleaned and cleaned) the house on saturday. it feels great and it needs to stay that way! so lists must be made and tasks must be completed. do you call these chores? i'm 25 and have chores.

did you know there's probably (hopefully, omg i hope with every fiber of me) going to be a 70 degree day in the next 31 days. and then it's april. and april showers bring may flowers!

who wouldn't that?

planting, green, growth, fresh, thunderstorms, skirts, bare legs, flip flops, freckles. sunkissed.  it's all right around the corner. this is probably the most optimistic i've ever felt going in to march. i'm just pretending there isn't also a chance of a giant snow storm as well.

check out these beautiful jeans from Nine in the Morning. i particularly love the image in the upper left hand corner.

do you Bright Side? great companies, special giveaways. you should.

SimpleShoes

$30 for a pair of flips, even if made of recycled is a bit steep for me.

i'm an old navy two pair for $5 girl.

this could be color for the season.

or at least the rest of the post, but probably the season too.

last night i had a lesson in gluttony. we went out to dinner at local Harvey's and i proceeded to gorge myself on their delicious seasonal menu. potato wedges with blue cheese and bacon, tomato soup, brushetta burger. and here's the stupid thing, i knew before i even started my burger i was overfull, but proceeded to eat half of it, and thought i was going to burst. no good. lesson learned. 

then i bought goggles so i can swim straighter and get more exercise. i have reached a new chapter in my life. oh! i totally registered for the st pats 5k RUN yesterday in Bay City. my tri team is doing it as a group. i'm hosting an oatmeal smorgasbord. do you think they'll want bloody mary's?! no, probably not. that's ok, i never need an excuse to enjoy a bloody mary.

i think i will leave you with, three things for March, the three things i most want to accomplish for the month.

ONE. KEEP IT TIDY/FINISH ORGANIZING. TWO. MORE SPECIAL DATE NIGHTS. THREE. WORK ON/REEVALUATE/PRIORITIZE MY LISTS (25before26, 11before2012, etc.).

more goals

I'm still thinking about the beginning of 2011 and how to stick to my 11 goals, work towards the 11 goals Matt and I made (eek!), finish up pretty much start my 25 before 26 and work on balancing it all.

Of course as I read others' lists I want to add to mine. This is why I made making lists my last goal.

Yes and Yes, 13 Ways to Refresh the New Year
1. Get rid of the clothes you don't love and don't wear - Are you really going to ever wear that fringed jacket Mum gave you?!
2. Clean out your car - That feeling when you open your trunk, and it's totally clean, why wouldn't you want it for the whole car?!
5. Reevaluate the relationships in your life - At the end of 2011 I was struggling with what should be one of the most important relationships in my life. But it's not. And to halfass it, to not try to make it work is not working. His loss.
7. Update your resume - Delta's not even on it. 

8. Clean out Organize your bathroom cabinet - just too much clutter.

Lifehacker, Five Things to Make Time for This Year

Passion Projects - getting creative with Matt, sewing, learning to love training for the tri
Your Weekly Review - I really like this as a blog idea and to hold myself accountable
Written-Down Goals -  hey, that's what I'm doing!


other good blogs that I didn't really borrow any goals from:
http://www.notthatkindofgirl.net/2011/01/03/tkog-sets-friggin-goals/
http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/2011/01/a-few-good-goals.html
http://www.kylaroma.com/2011/01/a-look-behind-a-step-forward

11 in twenty11

Our New Year's Eve was quite lovely. One of my bestest and her hubby came to "do the shit out of some cheese," play board games and ring in the new year. I'm fighting a sinus infection so I wasn't as high energy as I would have liked, but I suppose if that's my only complaint I'm doing good. And that brings us to today, the day for making resolutions and reflecting on the year past. We'll start there. 

10 things for 2010!

1. Wear more orange! Yes ma'am.

2. Embrace life. It became my word of the year.

3. Rock the crafty nerd that's inside. Not so much, but I've got quite a stock of fabrics and papers to craft with now.

4. Take more pictures. 924 photos in the last 12 months. 

5. Keep my home organized. Much better than a year ago.

6. Strip all the wood downstairs and pull the carpets! SO Amazing.

7. Create a history of the house. Nope.

8. Cook more yummy food and be a more focused cook. I'd say so.

9. Compile all of Grandma's recipes. Nope.

10. Get fit! Nope.

Seven out of 10 ain't bad! I'm quite proud of myself actually! Of course it's time for 11 in twenty11!

mine or from weheartit.com

11 in twenty11

  

1. Take an academic course.

2. Sew (crafty goodness!).

3. Run a (baby) triathalon.

4. Get a tattoo (or two).

5. (Look into) taking piano lessons.

6. Clean up and keep my computer organized (and blog reader).

7. Compile Grandma's recipes and history of my house.

8. Spend more time outside. 

9. Make and stick to a budget. 

10. Stick to a cleaning schedule.

11. Make more lists. (a list of lists?!)

hold me to 'em ya'll!! 

Two things I really liked from two of my favorite blogs.

At this point, I’m a little more than I thought I could be and a little less than I always dreamed I would be. -IndieJane 

... suddenly there's so very much that seems possible -wilybrunette

ps. I don't actually say ya'll or ain't in real life.

good things to come

thankful for: hope. this new beginning.

i'm feeling a tug to do a blog post and keep at this but was lacking inspiration. so i hoped on over to weheartit and found this sweet little kitty. (and of course the link is dead two years later.)

here's an adorable one of Sam

it worked and now i can a list of things i'm looking forward to:

* snuggling up with my cute new beau
* seeing my sweet kitties
* eating something yummy for dinner
* girls' night in midland with my delta pals
* striving to be women's bowler of the week, my teammates have already achieved it
* tacos for dinner tomorrow
* starting to decorate for the holidays too early
* family
* making plans

giveaways: http://livingtheswelllife.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveaway-ekate.html - pretty, pretty jewelry!
http://daintysquid.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveaway_08.html - awesome hoodies, i love peppercorn pink!

it's november, i should make some goals

starting with, thankful for: feeling whole and goal filled!

 
* stick to goals, track them. be awesome. (maybe stop watching SO much how i met your mother. yeah right.)

* limit sugar. no candied sugar from eleven/five to eleven/twelve.

* be early for work. (get lunch around night before. get up at 6:20. have clothes ready.)

* make a great christmas list

* drink more water. (64oz/day. if i'm up for 10 hours a day. i should try to drink 6oz every hour...)

* cook (i feel so excited about the three four new recipes in my kitchen this week!)

* get fit. write. take pictures. per usual.

* love it and live it all fully. embrace it.

 

looking back at ocotober: 

1. go to the gym or a workout class TWICE a week! - inconsistently but i was sore more times this month than i've probably been all year. 2. write. share. - journaled for myself. facebooked, does that count as sharing? :) 3. walk once a week. - not how i planned. 4. read. finished one book, skipped around another. 5. make a new friend. - oh yeah! 6. love your old friends. for sure! 7. talk less. listen more. think before you speak. - eh. i'm not as good at this as i think i should be. but it's me. 8. sew. - hahaha. 9. be neat. - so good on this one!! 10. find the balance. - ongoing, as it should be.

...i'm finally feeling back to where i should be after the summer debacle. i'm not sure what i'm doing with my life, but at least i'm moving on from that unhealthy bit of it.

vacation!

hullo from las vegas! i'm officially on VACATION for the next week! so of course i've made a little to do list! i'm seriously just OWNING that my blog is really just a place to post these. (and over use the word just) ;)

yep, gratuitous photobooth pic.

1 . take pictures everyday! (ftw!)

2 . don't watch tv first thing in the morning. (pick up a book loser!)

3 . breathe. relax. see. focus.

4 . keep journalling. (because then you can post gems like this!)

5 . moderation. (at least consider it.)

6 . sleep. (it's a vacation!)

7 . adventure! (it's a vacation!)

(ooh and eek! and thank you, thank you for the comments on my last post!)

ten goals for the tenth month

mine

One of my favorite things of a new month is revealing the newest month of my beautiful SusyJack* calendar. I love unique designs, the colors and that colors are not predictable (not orange for October! not green for March!) It's a beautiful calendar and I may leave it up well into 2011.

I have a huge amount of goals for this month. I'm officially on online dating sabattical and with that there's a lot I want to achieve for myself, my health, my heart and my head. I want to find some balance in my life and not obsess about one particular thing. "one track mind"

here we go ten goals for the tenth month:

1. go to the gym or a workout class TWICE a week!

2. write. share.

3. walk once a week. 

4. read.

5. make a new friend. 

6. love your old friends.

7. talk less. listen more. think before you speak.

8. sew.

9. be neat.

10. find the balance.

plus i'm doing this new health challenge game called health month. here are my six goals (some duplicates):

1. No fried food  2. Take a multivitamin every day  3. Drink at least 40 glasses of water per week  4. Exercise for 30 minutes at least 2 times a week  5. Get quality alone time at least 2 days a week  6. Go out and be social at least 2 days a week

 

And with that I'm out. Thanks for stopping by (my dear ghost George who I am sure is the only person actually reading this! :)

the lists

I love that my birthday is in July. I always had wonderful water-centric birthday parties as a lil one, and it's the middle of the year a chance to check in and maybe start some things over (or start some things at all). I'm also excited that my new found love of blogging has inspired to write these lists.

twentyfive before twentysix.

1. get active at least three two times a week

2. spend a weekend away, just me

3. visit my grandparents every six to eight weeks

4. make a fort in my living room and camp out for a weekend

5. road trip with no destination

6. learn to sew clothes (branch out from square purses and pillows)

7. ride my bike to work (buy a bike)

8. make and actively stick to a budget, if it's not in the budget don't buy it, no more retrospective

9. buy toms

10. go a week without the internet

11. journal every other day more

12. organize my life and keep it picked up

13. learn make frames for odd sized posters

14. participate in a blog or flickr challenge

15. research eating locally and seasonally

16. learn something and laugh everyday

17. live deeper

18. cook something new once a week

19. start & finish style school & tell your story

20. create a backyard oaysis

21. write letters

22. downsize, declutter

23. send postcards to strangers

24. fireworks & cedar point

25. learn to like the number twenty-six.

a look back to my ten goals for twentyTEN

1. Wear more orange! - oh yeah, more color in general, if that's possible!
2. Embrace life. Be strong and laugh loud. - working on it, still have hesitations, feel refocused on this!
3. Rock the crafty nerd that's inside. - no, but as fall begins i'll spend more time in my cozy craft room.

4. Take more pictures. -  about the same, but new subjects: yard, house, kitties!

5. Keep my home organized. - nope, chaos reigned. but it's so picked up now it feels great!

6. Restore the original beauty to the house. -  you know it! it looks amazing!

7. Create a history of the house to have for the library. - fall
8. Cook more yummy food and be a more focused cook. - about the same.
9. Grandma's Recipes & EIW Journal - fall

10. Get fit! - bought a membership, haven't used it. 

remember: "I hope you are a wonderful year! I can't imagine it not being one. That's my style."

 

welcome to july!

it's my favorite month because of sunshine, my birthday, summer is in full swing, time on the water, the boat, an occasional storm, loved ones, i just love it all!

seven things i want to do in july:

one. ring in twenty-five with a bang and my favorite people!
two. spend time in my house and yard that doesn't not include oodles of work.
three. walk more. talk more picture. be more. be me.
four. write my life list & a 25 things to do before 26.
five. visit my friends around the state!!
six. enjoy
seven. summer!

this is it, the wheatfield
i love, love, love wheatfield!!

july. JULY. UNDERSTAND. LAUGH. YES.

quick june recap: just & now - i think i tried, but failed because of how i wanted this to go. i think by saying i wanted it to be just now, i was trying to hold something (see previous depressive posts) together that shouldn't have been. update - so well, except that most of it didn't even happen until july! haha. i will post pictures post bday bash/housewarming! it looks AMAZING! enjoy - i think i might have learned  more about this than anything. i realized that i'm scared if i don't get everything i want right now i'll be disappointed and unhappy forever. but then i opened my eyes and saw that all of the amazing people i know have had amazing chapters in their lives. i have to enjoy what is right now and try not to be a know it all. (and yes, i realize that this probably contradicts j&n)

love: anxious sparrow tumblr

i feel: sad. inspired. jealous. understood.

unless otherwise noted, all images from anxious sparrow tumblr, original source unkown! (i tried!)

today really was a good day, the first day i didn't feel sad or angry or lonely 40% of every moment. thank goodness.

and tomorrow another day begins.

it will be a good day. promise.

today

sleeeep. i guess i needed it. fell asleep at about 10:15p watching an old L&O: CI and with the exception of feeding the cats at 10:30a didn't wake up until 12:45p. holy moly people. i'm a solid nine-hour sleeper when i have the chance, but nearly 15 hours! yikes. you'd think i'd just played nine hours of tennis!

this really through my plans for the day out the window: bank, laundrymat, general productivity, as i still needed my slow weekend morning/afternoon to wake up. i made breakfast, read my book, snuggled kitties, sent an email that needed to be sent and caught up on my google reader. i successfully wasted five hours! (before heading out to post golf-outing dinner!)

i hope for a restful yet productive weekend:


tape, tape, tape.
empty and wash shelves in dining room and library.
wash bathroom and library walls.
see family and go deaf at river roar. (which i can hear from my house! well the concert tonight, i'm not sure about the boats.)
see friends and relax. 

all the paint and primer i bought a few weeks ago, waiting to go on the wall! it'll be good times.
  

home inspiration overload!

it's been six months since i started bookmarking inspiration - the only thing i was good at for style school! and i have so much. the two-five is just a month away and there is much to do (big party/open house the day before). i think boiling the inspiration down is a great place to start.

blue bedroom, original art (kelly rae) . that color! the painted globe... . know you, love you . family art wall (rachel)

i really, really love the pieces of original art and how rachel displays them. i think i'm going to take the art that inspires me and create my own version. my personal version. because that's what i can do at this point, i absolutely want to purchase original pieces some day but that's in the budget at this point.

clockwise | beauty . the Perfect Snow . home sweet home . Daydream List

 i love how this is hung (and the print!)!

clockwise | life itself is a most wonderful fairytale . branch . Manny Rodriques (via decor8) . twain quote

Everything that can be imagined...
Originally uploaded by Jewdar

i wound up with a house that has more shelves than even i can use, including a library! i love the idea of a quote there, in playing with the ideas of painted shelves, and have an amazing curly cue tree that is losing it's branches!

clockwise | orange bird . garland (via) . happy . bikes pillow in red

to do & more links!

• hit garage sales this weekend to find goodies, even if temporary, for shelves! (oh my goodness! or wonderful plates to stencil) or fun projects with flash cards!
• take camera and go on letter hunt!
• buy handles for side table. not very functional if you can't open the drawers!
• magazine  holders. seriously. 
• buy wonderful sewing machine with table. for tv wall!! (seriously, ten bucks how can you pass it up?!)
• i love the use of these spools as a hose hanger. 

i think my next step will be making a real to do list for all these projects and figuring out when everything can and needs to be done!