Year of Creativity

I hearby declare 2011 the year of:

I'm not really one to make New Year's resolutions (since my success rate is about zero), but I would like to at least document some of the goals that I have for this upcoming year.  This year is going to be especially exciting for me since I will be finishing up my MBA this spring!  It makes me happy to think about all of the time that will open up in my schedule to do the things that I really love doing.

I mentioned in my bio that if I don't have a certain level of creativity in my life I go absolutely mad; and though I have enjoyed the education I have received, the past two years have been more about the books then about the dreams.  But this year will be different! Here are some goals I have set for this year:

1.  Finish What I Start

Too many things around here are currently unfinished.  Take for instance these art projects I started a few months ago.  I started out with the best of intentions for finishing...but like always, I ran out of time.

This art project is intended for the guest room (that is when I finally finish it).  I decided that I didn't like the grey color that I painted the canvases, and the edge around the image itself did not turn out the way I wanted.  So what's needed to finish this baby?  2 coats white paint & adhere ribbon around image edge as border.  I have the paint...I have the ribbon...do I have the drive???  Yes!!

This is a painting that I started back in November, and...yes...it is taped to the wall in my kitchen.  I'm pretty sure it would look pretty good hanging in a frame, but I'll never know until it's finished.  You're probably getting the idea about the whole unfinished projects thing, so I'll move on. 

2.  Stupid Little Things

Numero uno refers mostly to unfinished art projects, but numero dos is talking about task projects.  These items are on what I call the "Stupid Little Things List."  What is a stupid little thing?  Well, a SLT (new acronym I created) is a task that is so small you rarely think about it, but when you do think about it you don't feel that it is deserving of a trip to the store for the necessary supplies.  Here are some examples:

These are the "high-water" curtains that are currently hanging in my family room.  No more than 6 inches too short.  To fix them I'm going to need to match the dark grey stripes to a solid fabric that I can then sew onto the bottom. Mark and I have purposely left some blue painter's tape on the curtain rods so that the finish does not wear off as we take the curtains down to make this fix.  The good news is that fixing the curtains will knock two items off of the SLT list, but it's going to take some hunting! 

Here is another example of a Stupid Little Thing.  This is hardware that needs to be changed out on a desk that I built while I was in high school.  Please don't judge me for the current hardware! I was a 17 year old from a small town with only one building supply store. 

These items seem so silly when I talk about them because they really are just stupid!  It's rediculous that they have gone unfinished, but at the same time, you can understand why they did.  There have always been bigger fish to fry.

3.  Own What I Love

Over the years Mark and I have gradually been purchasing items to furnish the house, but it has been an incredibly slow process.  Recently, I have decided that if I don't absolutely love something that is in my house I want to find the item a new home where it can be appreciated.

An example of this would be the green bedroom set we have split between our master bedroom and our guest bedroom.  My parents purchased this set for my bedroom when I was in the 7th grade, and while it is a nice set for a teenage girl, my design style has since outgrown it.  I would love to see this set go to a good home with a young girl who can really appreciate it rather than store it in my house just so it looks like we own some furniture.  My new approach this year is going to be that I would rather have available (empty) space to fill than furniture for furniture's sake.  Besides, I look at this as an opportunity to truly "start from scratch" when it comes to creating spaces that we love throughout our home.

4.  Add Some Color

One of the reasons I was so excited when Mark and I purchased our first house was because I was ready to be forever rid of white walls.  Having lived in apartments for more than eight years prior to becoming a homeowner, I became all too familiar with the forbidden concept of painting walls. 

It didn't take us long after moving into our house before I was running down to the closest Home Depot to gather the paint supplies so that I could rebel against white walls forever!  So far we have painted our master bedroom and the accent walls in our living/dining combo room and our family room.  It's not much, but even the small bits of color we've added thus far have really contributed to making us feel more at home. 

I'd like to continue to add color to the walls, but I would also like to add color through fabrics, art, and accessory items.  My goal is to create a soothing environment that feels refreshing during those scorching summer months which boast temperatures over 100 degrees!

These are some of the colors I am loving right now:

I'm loving the natural greys and blues that can be found in stones, and also the warm gold tones that compliment the soft, cool neutrals.

5.  Organize & Simplify

We live in a commercial world these days, which makes it extremely difficult to decide what items you truly need.  So many things exist to make life easier for us all...but over time those things add up and eventually overcrowd your space!

Mark and I moved from an 815 square foot apartment into a 2100 square foot home and as I packed our bags I couldn't believe all of the "stuff" we had accumulated over the years.  During the last few weeks of December I spent some time going through many of the things we had collected and found that we weren't even using most of it.  Needless to say...Goodwill received a substantial donation from the Uhrich family this year!

As I was sorting through our things I found it interesting how attached I had grown to some of the items--regardless of their value, or their practicality.  It was really difficult for me to part with many of the items because of a sentiment I had created for them.  Luckily, I had recently read an article in the December issue of Home and Garden Magazine about organization.  A statement that really stood out to me in the article was something to the effect of, "you're paying these items no tribute by storing them in your closet."  (They recommended that you take a picture of the item and keep it in a journal to document the memory).

I couldn't agree more!

This year, I declare that my home will not be a storage-shed for things that I don't use, or don't absolutely love.  I hope to transition to a lifestyle of minimalism, style, and order.

I'm really looking forward to this year so that I can see how much progress I make toward these goals!  What are some of the goals you have for the new year?  What are your plans to accomplish these goals?

 
  

Comments

[Lissa]

Please let me know how to arrange bedroom furniture sets in bedroom so that when i enter my bedroom, i could feel piece full mind.