what will be will be

I have been thinking a lot about resolutions. I usually do something really huge every year, like earn a degree or move across the country. Those things are never resolutions, it is just the way my life has been. Last year I decided to move in March and moved August 1st! So this month I am thinking about just writing down the main things that WILL happen this year. That way they are not resolutions that may be forgotten or set aside, but actual plans that I will follow through on.

1. Become a great cook. I have started cooking with my mom (via phone or skype) on a weekly basis and I really love it. She is an amazing professional cook and I get freaked out boiling water. I am going to become a confident, accomplished cook this year with all the tools I need to create great meals.

2. Learn CAD, and some Italian. I took CAD in design school but I have never used it and have completely forgotten it. I will take online classes this year and get great at it. Also, my fluency in Spanish makes Italian both easy and confusing, so I will study up on it for my trip in July (see #3).

3. Travel. This is easy since my mom plans and executes this one every year. Last year was the Dominican Republic, which was amazing, but my sister has never been to Europe. So this year we are going to Barcelona, Monte Carlo, and maybe a few towns in Italy and France. I am always the translator for Spanish, so I need to break out the Italian and French study guides!

4. Finish decorating the cottage and get it photographed/published. I am so happy and proud of my little cottage. I just need a few more touches to get it where I want it and it will be ready for professional pics and hopefully publishing!

5. Of course I have to decorate my mom's house, too, and work on our coffee table book with her. I have major spending coming up this year as my wisdom teeth have to come out and my brakes need to be fixed. I really loved 36 and I hear that 38 is the best year, but 37 has definitely been weird. I have been adjusting to life in California and I just want 2014 to be a happy time with no major stresses. More time with friends and family is the most important thing.

What are you going to accomplish this year? I hope every year you grow and get better....love!
E

Looking forward...and back

I was just reading some of my posts from last year, especially the one from December 28th, when I made my resolutions for 2011. I can't believe that the year flew by so quickly, and that I actually fulfilled my goals. I am really happy about this past year. I blogged five times a week, got new clients (including my biggest project to date), finished my MA degree, and saw my family as much as possible. I also lost 30 pounds and got into the best shape I have been in for a decade!

I am realizing that on January 9th it will be two years that I have been blogging and it is certainly difficult to come up with new posts all the time. It is hard to stay motivated when you have only a few constant readers, but because of this blog I feel like I have gained some really good friends and also stayed in touch with all of the latest and greatest in design. In 2012 I hope to keep blogging and gaining more readers, but I will not be focusing to produce new blogs five times a week.

My focus for 2012 will be on my own personal life. I am 35 and I am certainly happy with all that I have accomplished, but I would like to make a difference in a child's life and get some personal fulfillment as well. My goals for the new year will be to prepare my life for an adoption. There are so many kids in the foster system who are needing families. If you have ever considered adoption, I beg you not to go out of the country, but to take in a child from your state who has been put into the system.

With that eventual goal in mind, I will be looking for a home to buy or a bigger place to rent, getting my health coverage in order, and deciding whether or not to start law school in the fall. I will always continue with my design work, as it is my passion and my joy. I hope that even if I am pursuing another career that I will always have one or two design clients. And of course I will always be renovating or decorating my own place and showing it on the blog and on my website. I guess that means that I will be staying in New Orleans for a while, as it is a wonderful place to live and I have a steady job here.

I hope that you all have accomplished your goals for 2011 and are as excited about the future and 2012 as I am! Happy Holidays to you and your family - see you next week!
E