A Joyful Transformation: January 2012

Simplifying my LIFE!

It has been one of my biggest goals the past year and a half to simplify my life. Get rid of stuff and live more simply! Part of the process has been for me to go through EVERY corner, closet, shelf, cabinet, etc. in my condo and organize and purge! I have conquered most areas in my condo except my bedroom. I've lived at my condo for four and a half years and I haven't even finished decorating my bedroom! I've had a corner of the room stacked with pictures and knick knacks I've wanted to decorate with for years!

And I came to a startling realization the other day as I was looking at my bedroom...My bedroom looked exactly as it did in 2004. The same pictures from college, the same awards, graduation caps, same EVERYTHING! So, it was my goal over break to put stuff away, take stuff down, and simplify my bedroom. It also helped that I took down my ugly vertical blinds and replaced them with pretty new curtains. Here are some before and after shots...

BEFORE:

Photo and souvenirs from my trip to Japan...which was in 2003!

Photos from college and childhood...

Childhood rocking chair and childhood stuffed animals. Put them safely in a container to give to my future children. No need to decorate with them now as a 28 year old!

Cutesy stuff from college days...

Photos from early college...

More college memories...Nothing wrong with college. I had a great time, I just feel that my life has moved on and until I start living like that, I'll always be stuck here...in 2004.

This (believe it or not) started out as a small corner of paintings and pictures I wanted to hang up in my room...As you can see, that has not happened!

Needed to do some organizing in the desk area...

And this stack of sweatshirts is just ugly

Look at this crap!

And my cute coffee table...buried under STUFF! And my ugly blinds...

Yep, those are my graduation caps from college and my Masters...and my HIGH SCHOOL homecoming sash...and my Miss Congeniality sash from college and plaque. It's really like I saw my room for the first time in YEARS! Where have I been!

National Honor Society sash...11 years later. Sad.

AFTER:

You can see my coffee table!!

I replaced my childhood/stuffed animal shrine with my easel and simplified decor.

Gone everything pre-2010!

A nicer simpler look...

Here's a recent collage of my family...

My side table

My new curtains with some of the new wall hangings.

Here's my new clock I hung up...pretty sure I bought it almost 2 years ago!

Here's my messy corner...messy no more!!

All in all, I'm very pleased!! It makes me want to actually spend time in my room; not feel smothered in STUFF! I feel like I can actually breathe now!

2012: A Fresh Start!!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE the New Year. I always make a bunch of goals for myself. I don't like to call them resolutions, because resolutions are code word for "will break in a week." The goals I make for myself are lifestyle changes and things that will improve my life. One of my biggest goals this year is to have a more structured schedule. I figure the only way to truly make small changes in my life is to implant them in a "Master" daily schedule. I've heard it said that it takes 21 days of doing something to create a habit. Well, I'm trying out my schedule for 21 days and hopefully whatever makes it that long, will stick! Some new additions to my daily schedule are: more frequent workouts, counting calories, drinking lots of water, grading more consistently, devotional times, cooking more, punctuality, set bed times, cleaning times, and times to actually do my laundry. All good things, just hard to plug in to my busy schedule.
Two weeks into the new year, and I'd say I'm still doing pretty good. It's been interesting to see what has stuck so far...and what hasn't. Making my bed every morning sounded like a great idea, but I've only succeeded once, so I'll let that one go. No biggy! I'm approaching this whole schedule with grace towards myself. I am not a slave to it, by any means. Another one that's been a challenge is the bed time. I love sleep, I just have a hard time actually getting into the bed.
Some great things that have actually worked so far: devotional times, counting calories, working out, drinking water, grading more, planning a menu, and cleaning each weekend. I know I'm only two weeks in, but I'm excited for these more structured changes in my life. When I live with a schedule, I feel more freedom. Almost ironic, isn't it?

Christmas Vacation Highlights: Part 5

Continuing on with the "non-Traditions", my family didn't gather for our normal New Year's Eve party. So I got to go to my dear friend Kate's New Year's Eve Fancy Pants Party. See more pictures and stories here.

***NOTE: That's a fake cigarette...just adds to the character! :)

Fancy gathering at Macaroni Grill

All the single ladies...

Homeade party hats

Coloring stations

LOVE the happy faces in this picture!

Christmas Vacation Highlights: Part 4

Those of you who know me, know that I love traditions! My family has always had the most fun holiday traditions. Well, this year will go down in history as the year of no traditions! We decided last year that our day long traditions were going to have to change due to the many nieces and nephews in the family now. It just got too hard trying to watch movie after movie with babies needing naps and more activity. This year also felt different because it was my first Christmas with my brother not here. He was in Colorado with his wife and her family. So everything was different...not bad, just different.
Something of course that didn't change was all the sweets!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Drop Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Almond Bark dipped pretzels, Oreos, and Ritz peanut butter crackers

and the famous Oreo Truffles! Yum!

Christmas Vacation Highlights: Part 3

One of the more daring adventures of break, I decided to take my nieces Isabella and Madelyn to Silver Dollar City to look at the lights...all by myself! and withOUT a stroller, a decision I would soon regret. Never, never, never take a two year old to SDC and not have a stroller. I accidentally knocked her down probably 3 or 4 times and I was afraid she was going to get trampled by the oppressive crowds! Let's just say we spent a lot of time by the big tree, which thankfully Bella and Madelyn both loved!