2012 Preview: Dreams

Some people live for New Years Resolutions.
Some people don't even bother to have them since they always fall through mid-February.

Whether they last 2 weeks, 2 months, or the entire year, I'm a fan.
I've always been big on setting dreams/goals. I believe they give your life purpose, direction, and energy.

"Dreams tell us about what a person values, is passionate about, and what a person centers their life upon."

If you goal is to lose 60 lbs and you quit after losing 25... that's 25 less than you would of had if you hadn't tried at all. I don't mean it's okay to give up and not follow through, but sometimes it takes those little steps to hit a big goal.

So since today is the day people set in stone their 2012 resolutions, I decided to re-evaluate my dreams list. Some things have been on my list for years, others are new and I'm adding today.

"The thing about dreams is that the more you define the, the more likely you are the achieve them."

The most important aspects in setting a New Years Resolution or creating a dreams list are:
1) Write them down and review them often (post them on a bulletin board or have a Dream Journal)
2) Have a WHY behind each dream - that's what drives you!
3) I was always taught to dream based on various categories (see below).

Some of the categories have multiple things I would like to accomplish - but I am just listing my #1 goal for some of the categories that apply to 2012 for you (my full list has over 50 things even though there are only 12 categories):

[ Physical ]
    In case this wasn't obvious... my goal is to say bye-bye to the baby weight! I won't say exactly how much I need/plan to lose but two of my commitments are to be gluten free for 30 days and (like the past two years) give up any fast food (my record is just over 3 months)
    WHY: Being healthy/fit isn't something that every person has control over. I am young and want to respect myself and my body by putting food into it that makes me feel good.

[ Intellectual ]
    Increase my knowledge on Natural Labor/Birthing by becoming an instructor for the Bradley Method which is something Tommy and I have been very passionate about learning about during this pregnancy.
    WHY: I believe that God created our body to do AMAZING things - including giving birth - and want to share that understanding and give empowerment to other women.

[ Spiritual ]
    I want to be more disciplined in studying God's word by having time for myself daily (20 minutes) as well as finding a Bible study with other's to challenge me and hold me accountable.
    WHY: You have to invest time if you want to grow in an area of your life and I want to continue to grow as a Christian.

[ Material ]
    Buy a house of course!
    WHY: So we can have somewhere to establish our family permanently as we continue to grow!

(Yes, I know we won't get something THIS beautiful.. but I can dream :) right?)

[ Professional ]
     Start a shop on Etsy to generate more income.
     WHY: I love crafting, creating, and inspiring people. It would be a way for me to add more to our savings as well as a way for me to have time doing something I love.

[ Financial ]
     Save $10,000 by June.
     $15,000 by August.
     WHY: To use as a downpayment for our first home :) Minimum of 10% down. Ideally 15-20%.

[ Creative ]
     Same as professional (because I am going to need a lot of motivation to get it started).. but more specifically: learn more about graphic design and sewing.
     WHY: Because God blesses everyone with different gifts and WANTS you to use them :)

[ Adventure ]
      Go on our HONEYMOON! Somewhere warm, all inclusive, and with no babies!
      WHY: We made a sacrifice after our wedding to save the money.. but I think it is important for couples to have that time alone together where they can just cherish each other without any distractions.

Other categories:
[ Emotional ]
[ Legacy ]
[ Character ]
[ Psychological ]

What do you think about New Years Resolutions? What is on your Dreams List?
What is your #1 resolution this year? Why?

I'll be sure to update as I accomplish things off my list.. I pray everyone has a safe and Happy New Years!

Etsy Inspired Projects

Etsy is one of my favorite places to "shop". I rarely buy anything - but I shop for ideas on crafts/DIY projects.

My first successful "Etsy replica" was the prints I made for our new nursery:

Etsy Original: 

$45 (without frames). Customizable. You can find it here.

My version:

$2 total to print at Office Max (on shiny cardstock). Colors match our nursery theme perfectly!

I am so in love with them! 

Don't get my wrong, they took awhile and there was probably a WAY more efficient way to make them than the way I did (which was just using Pages on my laptop and putting each letter in a separate text box so I could edit colors/sizes/orientation and move them around).

My most recent project is a gift for my Father-In-Law for Christmas. I just happened to stumble upon it and knew it would be a perfect addition to his "Ohio State Buckeyes" den and it looked easy to make!

It's called "String art". You can find the inspiration here.

The original on Etsy was $60. 

Here is the breakdown of supplies:

  > 1-2 inch nails

  > thread (in the color of your choice)

  > paint

  > 1x1 (or any size) wooden board (or in my case.. a bulletin board!)

I already had the white & red paint. I purchased the nails, thread, gray paint, and board from Target for less than $25!

My original plan was to buy a wooden board like the original used.. but I was too excited to start making it and didn't want to cart Evelyn to Lowe's at 9 o'clock at night :) so I grabbed a square bulletin board I had. Next time I make one (which will be soon since Tommy already announced he needs one too!) I will use wood just for more durability.

The overall project took less than 2 hours to do the actually "work".. the longest part was waiting for the paint to dry! Which is what I did first - I painted a coat of white over the entire board.

Next, I just found and outline of the state of Ohio online, printed it, cut it out, and then placed it on the center of my board.

Next, I took my nails and lined them up along the boarder of the state. I found it was easiest to start at the "corners" and place nails half way in-between each other until they were closer and closer together.. that way the spacing was even.

Next, I removed the outline of the state and took my gray paint and painted along the boarder of the nails

Next, I free-handed a red heart right in the center of the State to represent not only the location of Buckeye Football mecca - but also the love we have for OSU :) Oh, and that also completes the Buckeye color scheme! Nails go around the heart too.

Finally, the threading begins!!! 

I tied a knot on the nail starting in the bottom left corner and began looping it back and forth between the boarder of the state and the heart. I did a double loop around the outside nails. And that's all there is too it!

I hope my Father-in-Law likes it! Go Bucks!