new year, fresh start…

i love it. i’ve always been a new year’s resolution kinda girl. probably because i have so many things i need to work on! i’ll get on with that in a minute. i was just thinking over what i’ve actually done in the last week.

• cooked- lasagna, homemade chicken noodle soup, prime rib, scalloped corn.
• ate a lot of leftovers.
• washed a lot of dishes.
• wrapped about 50 gifts.
• finished last minute Christmas shopping.
• created, printed, and cut out about 25 desktop calendars
• cleaned out my desk. big job.
• re-organized most of my studio.
• made 5 or 6 projects for jbs and fiskars.
• watched “the holiday”, “holiday inn”, “little house on the prairie Christmas at plum creek”, and  ”the devil wears prada” while making projects.
• sat in the hot tub twice : )
• slept more than i have in months
• edited lots of photos, ordered lots of photos, created 5 web galleries and ordered 5 proof books.
• returned lots of emails
• delivered (not literally, my doorbell actually rang a whole lot in the past week!) a lot of photo orders in time for Christmas
• worked on two different photography projects for publications (still top secret. whatever.)
• laundry, daily pickup around the house and a little cleaning.
• i did not gain a pound through the holidays (yet!) but and this is a big but, i have been at a higher weight for the last year, so i would have been really upset with myself if i had gained any more!

it’s been an out of the ordinary week in some ways. i never watch that many movies in a week or sleep as much. oh and i’ve been a total homebody. i’ve hardly left the house.

here are a couple of looks at some of my fiskars projects:

Christmas layout-

and this one-

there are 5 different downloadable layouts with winter themes here.

so as i was pondering my goals for 2010, i thought about how i had done with my goals for 09. that’s one thing about blogging…you can’t hide from what you’ve written. here is the post with my 2009 goals. i don’t think i failed miserably, except for #2. i think i did fairly well with #6 and #10. we really are making progress on the house. thursday, i think i have tom talked into a trip to nebraska furniture mart to check out appliances. woohoo! i think it was a huge boost to me to have all the new lighting that we just got AND to have the popcorn ceilings down on the kitchen and the entryway…it’s a start at least! even with the ceiling still unfinished i know that it will be done. i did hang new photos on the wire in our kitchen-

there are very few things that brighten my day more than putting new photos up around the house. such a quick, easy way to feel like things are fresh! i’m already thinking about taking our Christmas stuff down. i’m always anxious to put it up and anxious to take it down. realistically with deadlines looming, i won’t get it down until friday. and that’s okay.

yesterday, i wrote that i would be sharing my 2010 goals, so here they are:

*b* list of 2010 goals

1. i want my life to reflect my love for God and for others….as well as myself.
2. to live my life in a way that encourages others and inspires them to seek God. i want my life to reflect who i truly am. i want to be authentic.
3. i want to be strong and take a stand when needed, but at the same time, i want to be loving, forgiving and gracious. i think this has been one of the biggest lessons for 2009. there are times when being neutral is NOT the best option.
4. i want to continue on the path of making relationships priority. spending time with the ones i love and not just time, but quality time.
5. i want to continue to improve my business in a way that honors the Lord and blesses others. my goal is to not only make a living, but also have a positive impact on others.
6. seek peace, even as i’m taking stands on certain issues and lead my life with joy, not allowing petty things to steal my joy.
7. i want to eat moderately, but well. savoring mealtime and not eating unconsciously. sort of a “why french women don’t get fat” attitude.
8. i want to get back into the habit of working out. not out of guilt, but from a standpoint of doing something that is beneficial to my body and that will improve my energy level (although i have to say that i do have quite a bit of energy : )
9. i want to be in a Bible study on a regular basis through this year. i seem to grow spiritually a lot more when i’m involved in a small group study.
10. i want to invest in improving our home. because this makes me very happy.
11. i want to spend time every day doing something creative…even if it’s just for a small amount of time.
12. become more organized and efficient. i’m thinking this online class might be what i need?
13. spend less time on mindless escape online and more time utilizing good resources.  
14. enjoy simple things more than ever with an attitude of thankfulness. things like relaxing in the hot tub, eating a meal by candlelight in the winter or on the deck in the summer, sitting by the pool on sunday afternoons throughout the summer, reading a good book, having lunch with a friend, my early mornings with coffee, the Word and prayer, my work at home, time in my studio

and here are some more tangible goals:

1. read at least a book a week. there are two online sites that are so helpful to me-paperback swap and goodreads. pbs has helped me get so many great books, without spending a lot of money and goodreads has been invaluable for finding great books through reviews of friends.
2. finish our kitchen re-do. all that’s left is to finish the ceiling, replace appliances and countertop.
3. make dinner to take to someone at least once a month.
4. go to wppi.
5. go somewhere on a craft retreat or weekend with  a friend or friends. not as a teacher, but as a participant.

that should be good for now : )

two things that have been making me smile in the past weeks-

i say it all the time, so you know i mean it. i love sending and receiving Christmas cards. i hate to think that it’s a dying art.

i hope you are enjoying this week….those of you with children home on Christmas break try to enjoy it! ha!

God bless each of you!