I have been a yo-yo dieter for as long as I have been married. I have lost the same 10-20 pounds, and gained them all back, several times over the last six and a half years! I know this is so terrible for my health, but the good news is that I have gained so many good habits over those years that have stuck. I just know one of these times (hopefully the next time!) that the weight will stay off for good! Luckily, on of my little sisters just got engaged! And we all know what great weight loss motivation it is to be a bridesmaid in a wedding. I have 15-20 pounds to lose, and with a five pound a month goal, so far I'm on the right track.

I never have been known for being organized, but since moving to Idaho and downsizing in living space, I've had to adapt a little. I have had a much easier time keeping up on organization, because we don't have a lot of extra room for me to just stash stuff and "get to it later." I want to keep working on that (because there's still a lot of room for improvement) and maintain my home better in a way that will be more relaxing for both me and Dane! I have found that breaking things down into small daily tasks, and writing them in my planner keeps me more on track.

Next September will be our seven year wedding anniversary, and I've decided we need a vacation! Not that we don't take vacations, but we haven't gone away for our anniversary in years. I have made it a priority to work a few extra days this spring to save up for our trip, so we don't have to worry about fitting it into the regular budget. We are planning a trip to Seaside, OR, which is where we went on our first date and spent a week getting to know each other at the beginning of our relationship. I have wanted to make a trip back ever since, but so far it hasn't worked out. This summer it will be eight years since we've been together! Can I get a cray-cray?!

First of all, I will be bringing more content to my blog! I'm so haphazard with my posting, and that's not good. I will be taking more of a planning, organized approach to my blogging, and I feel like that will help a lot. I'm working on new ideas for posts, and might start doing some weekly themed posts soon. I also want to share more in the way of freebies and giveaways, as a way to put myself out there and get people interested in what I'm doing. 

For my business, this is going to be a year of exploration. I have so much to learn still about design, and I hope to gain a lot of valuable information in the coming months. I know I have improved so much since I started, but I also know that there are a lot of ways I'm lacking. I really want to focus on honing my craft this year, big time! Since I started this business,  I have found myself drawn towards several different mediums, and that may not be a great thing. Instead of focusing specifically on one thing (hand lettering) I have spread myself out a bit (calligraphy, water colors). This may not be a terrible thing either, I'm just saying I feel like I need to reign myself in a bit. 

With that being said, first I will be trying out some different things very soon. I plan on having a lot of new listings this spring, of various different products. I have loads of ideas, and some of them aren't necessarily very cohesive. I want to expand my shop though, and find out what sells and what doesn't, and where I want my niche to be. I love greeting cards, but I'm also drawn to stationary and invitations. Do I want to print and sell physical products, or do I want to go the more modern printable route? Should I stick to art prints and cards, or are announcements and invites more my thing? Plus there are tons of other ways I could apply my lettering! What I'm trying to say is that you can expect to see a lot of things from me in the near future, but eventually I will start being more specific in the kinds of things I create. 

I haven't made a sale on Etsy yet, but I'm not too disappointed. I know these things take time, and I feel like with a little more inventory, and a little more marketing, things will start moving. I have done plenty of personal projects though, with more in the works, so I keep myself busy. I am still creating, and still enjoying it so much!

The big goal, whether it happens this year, or further down the line, is to be able to run my blog and business full time instead of having to work outside the home. Hopefully I get to see some good progress on that front in the coming months.


Phew, what a novel! Kudos to you if you made it all the way through. Now this is one thing off my daily to-do list, I should get to tackling the rest!

Thanks for stopping by!