1. Do something with our wine corks
After almost two years of collecting corks in a vase, I want to make something pretty out of them. An ombre heart for the wall, coasters, hurricane filler for candles, or geode bottle stoppers are some options being considered.
2. Grow out my hair
I have started the growing out phase of my pixie cut so that I can successfully achieve finger waves for our wedding in November. Thank goodness I have an excellent hair stylist (and best friend) that will make the awkward phases non-existent.
I was only at Ravinia once this year for Hall & Oates. Despicable. I love that place and I am committed to attending once per month during the season. I mean, a BYO outdoor setting to enjoy music on a summer night with respectful concert go-ers? Yes, please.
4. Get a dog and name him George.
After much discussion, we have decided to get a puppy as our wedding/Christmas present to each other. Based upon my need for no shedding and his need for non-toy-sized, we found a Portuguese water dog to be the perfect compromise. If it's good enough for the Obamas, it's good enough for us!
I love vintage & antique decor and this is the place to find the best of both. If I want to recreate these looks in our apartment, I'll need a bunch of random picture frames, a handful of knick knacks for a book shelf, a Victorian dresser, and a chandelier (or two).
6. Make a donation to the Par Club
As a recipient of the
Chick Evans Scholarship, my undergraduate education was paid for by the Western Golf Association. I am grateful every day to have received this opportunity and am honored to be an alumni. Therefore, I want to do my part in helping caddies go to college.
7. Watch (at least) four movies per month
I enjoy laying on the couch a lot, and often, I do it mindlessly and end up bored after one or two episodes of SVU, Criminal Minds, or NCIS. Therefore, I will start watching more movies. Since I generally dislike the movie theater, I'll have to sign up for Netflix. To keep things interesting, our cinematic adventures will include: one of my or Dan's favorites, one released before 1982, one new to both of us, and one documentary.
8. Get my sweat on more frequently
Last year, I was a member of a Master's level swim team and practicing two to three times a week; however, due to relocating and changed priorities, I joined a gym with Dan. I started my membership at the end of the summer and we were going often, but we have both fallen off the wagon during the holidays. For me, it's sometimes hard to tell between the emotional & social exhaustion and physical exhaustion, so our motivation combined makes it easier to get up and go.
9. Continue eating (mostly) gluten free
After experiencing breakouts for most of my adult life, I finally visited a dermatologist. While she recommended some product changes, we discussed the role of diet in skin eruptions. Essentially, gluten and dairy are most often to blame. Since almost nothing can make me give up cheese, I decided to cut down on gluten. It's been easier than I thought and I've been pleased with the slight weight loss as well as a much more flawless complexion.
10. Invest in quality, not quantity
In having a fashion blog, there is an assumption that each outfit needs to be new, inspired, and trendy. Therefore, I sometimes feel the need to purchase new things often to keep my readers (and myself) interested. Since I have a not-so-big budget for purchases, I end up buying a lot of cheaper things rather than one thing of quality. It's my goal to incorporate less "once in a while" items and more "could wear it every day" items. Case in point? These
Tory Burch shades in place of five different pairs that don't fit quite right. I'm hoping that this will lead to more responsible shopping and more creativity in outfit posts.
11. Engage in continuing education opportunities for counselors
Even though I don't discuss my day job much on this blog, I would be remiss if I didn't include a goal of gaining knowledge, skill, and competence in counseling. Areas that I am particularly interested in include: 1). Ethics in social media; 2). The impact of the newest diagnostic manual changes, most notably behavioral addictions; 3). Mindfulness therapy; and, 4). Critical incident debriefing & trauma response techniques.
12. Create a bar cart
While I'm definitely a wine drinker over all other alcoholic beverages, I do enjoy cocktails. Therefore, I'd like to make mixology an easier thing to engage in for a party or Friday night dinner with my man.
13. Write more "how-to" blog posts
While I'd like to think that every post I do offers some insight into wearing things like boyfriend jeans, silk scarves, or ankle boots, I'd like to have more direct conversations about
how I put together an outfit. I've tried a short lived feature called
Apples & Oranges, but it wasn't easy to articulate the differences of two different fits or trends without sounding judgmental. Therefore, you'll be seeing more posts like
this, but with my outfits.
