I'm not quite ready to kick 2012 to the curb. We still have our Christmas decorations up (maybe I'll put them away this weekend) and we're still on vacation mode until we shift back to our regular routine next week. Going through my recap of 2012, I realized there are still a few projects I have yet to share with you - like the third bathroom renovation I helped my sister with, our smaller but more efficient storage area, a How To on the bathroom beadboard and trim, and how Chloe's little playhouse under the stairs turned out - so expect to see more about those in the next little while.

For today though, I'm talking 2013 Goals. I'm not really a resolution making type of girl, but I do believe in the power of putting your dreams and wishes out there. Maybe sharing these goals with you will help focus my energy on making them happen. And like everything else around here, these goals are a bit random, a bit about the home, a bit about life and career, and everything in between.

Yes, this goal goes without saying.  Some days, I feel like we're close to done and other days it seems like it will never end. So where are we at? The bathroom will hopefully be finished in the next two weeks, we're still figuring out furniture for the entertainment area, we have to get the stairs carpeted and the landing tiled, I have pillows and curtains to sew, and we have to hang some art on the walls. A million little things. But the great thing is, we are actually using and enjoying the space on a daily basis. I just can't wait until we can have it clean and settled.



Megan's post really resonated with me and inspired this goal. Maybe I'm just getting older, thriftier, and less tolerant but I've come to realize there is excess in my life - clothes I don't wear and didn't need to buy in the first place, food that goes bad before I use it, toys that get ignored when something newer comes along. It's not just with money - I'm also excessive with my time and energy... surfing and reading blogs when I could be doing work, thinking instead of acting, Pinning instead of doing. I need to own that. I need to be more intentional with how I use this precious time that I've been given.

The basement has really awakened my passion for creating. These days, it brings me a small thrill to turn off the TV and say to Chloe "Let's go craft!". Whether its sewing, painting, crafting or DIYing, I have a need to be making things with my hands and using my imagination. I want to do those things myself but also teach them to Chloe too.


There is still the book, but beyond that, I'd like to take my writing and ideas elsewhere. I would love to write a column for a magazine or newspaper, or perhaps contribute to another blog. There, I've said it. I've had this idea in my head for a while and this is the year to make it happen.


Moreso this year than any other since I started blogging, I've felt a pressure to keep up with the Joneses. There is the ugly need sometimes to compare myself to other bloggers... why do they get more pages views/sponsorships/opportunities/comments, what are they doing that I'm not, what should I change to become more "successful"... and it is in those moments that I have to remind myself comparison is the thief of joy. It really is. I need to remember why I started this blog in the first place and just keep on doing what makes me happy and stay true to my vision, tastes, and voice.


Last year at Alt Summit, one of the panelists was talking about approaching sponsors and said "If what you're asking for doesn't give you a knot in your stomach, then you're not asking for enough". I need that knot in my stomach - not just in terms of sponsorships, but for whatever I want to tackle. Whether its using the power tools on my own or pursuing The Big Idea (and I have a few this year!) I want to push my limits more and do those things that make me uncomfortable. I want to shake up the routine and be more adventurous. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Do you make resolutions? What wonderful, magical things do you hope to accomplish this year?