Friday, January 4, 2013

new year's resolutions

Have you ever had a New Year's Resolution that you've actually kept?

I honestly can't even remember any of mine. I'm sure I had some like, "lose weight", "do better in school", "learn a new language", "work out more", "journal every day", etc. etc. throughout the years. All the typical improve-yourself regimens.
Yet as we all know, decisions like those tend to fizzle out after...well, after New Year's Eve.
It's like a summer camp spiritual or emotional high, feeling like you can conquer the world. So many possibilities!



I'm kind of shooting myself in the foot by being so pessimistic about New Year's Resolutions, when this blog is actually about my resolutions for 2013! It has been years since I've made any. So this year, I have two definitive resolutions.

1. Read 36 Books



I've realized that my love for reading has been slowly squelched in the last few years, due to busy schedules and way too much TV. This year, reading will reign supreme. 36 books sounds like a very small number, but it boils down to about 3 books a month. I was originally going to do 50, but I want to succeed, and I think this is a reasonably challenging number that will encourage me without totally overwhelming me. I'll have some leeway.
I found a great app through Facebook called Goodreads, which will allow me to input my 2013 goal and keep track of all of the books I read. It also has shelves for me to list all of my previously read books!
I also already have one of my friends joining me in this 36-book challenge, so I'm excited to get started!
I'm currently reading/finishing Eye of the World by Robert Jordan to start the year off.

2. Posies by Cait



As you might know, I am the owner/creator of a little Etsy shop called Posies by Cait. 
Last year was my best year yet, and I still have so many ideas and designs swimming around in my head. 
While it may be a bold conquest, my resolution for my shop is to roughly double my revenue from 2012.
Stay tuned for fresh designs and ideas for affordable accessories! So far, my plan is to post new items twice a week and to be extremely active with social media to help my shop's traffic.
I've made a Posies by Cait Instagram account (follow me @posiesbycait!) and will continue to utilize my Facebook page, Facebook.com/PosiesbyCait.

On top of all that, I'm confessing this all to you, so I have some friends as witnesses to my endeavors!

This is an exciting year.
This is the last full year we will be in Virginia. I don't think I fully realized that until I just typed the words.
At this moment, I have butterflies in my chest region. The future is uncertain and scary and exciting and completely exhilarating, fear and anticipation combined. 17 months from now we will know so much more about where our future lies.
I am praying for a summer internship in Arizona for my husband, that he might be able to get valuable experience for future Arizona employers. I am also praying, ultimately, for a long-term job for him in Arizona. Worrying does no one any good, but we will be heartily thinking about and praying about his employment, on top of 3 more semesters of classes and the all-encompassing Bar Exam in 2014. Whew!

This weekend we will be recovering from two full weeks with our families in Arizona.
It's hard to get back to the grind, and I'm thankful that I only have to work today before the weekend!
Tonight we'll be heading to a mini getaway to the Craddock Terry Hotel in downtown Lynchburg.
I have been wanting to go there ever since we moved here!
I've been to the hotel a few times, including Dusty's birthday last year (we ate dinner at Shoemaker's, the fancy hotel restaurant), and this summer when family came to visit (we wanted to show my aunt and cousin how cute it was). But we've never stayed there!
(Just a refresher about this hotel - it used to be a shoe factory, and now everything is shoe themed. The lobby, the decor, the books, the room numbers, the art...they even serve breakfast in shoe boxes).



Needless to say, I'm thrilled.
And I'm very much looking forward to some down time with Dusty before he has to go back into school mode.
2013, here we go!

In love,
Cait

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