Oh wow. I skipped November! I mean, I kind of wish we’d all actually skipped November. It was a pretty brutal month. The election and its aftermath really did me in for a bit, and I also gave three conference talks, was interviewed on a local podcast, and organized an unconference from the first weekend of November ’til the first weekend of December. All that’s winding down now, and I’m planning to settle in, get some work done, and enjoy my first Christmas in my little house in my little city.
Here’s a look back at October.
1. Get a bedframe, settle on a mattress, and hang art in the bedroom. Done! Finally! There was more to this bedroom saga that happened throughout October and November, but we have a bedframe, we’re keeping the Helix mattress (with a complimentary topper they sent!), and there is art on the walls. I’d like to get some real window treatments up ASAP.
2. Do an outfit post here! Um, no. I did take outfit photos one day this fall. Just need to edit and post them. I love taking photos, but I have such an aversion to editing, organizing, etc. Anyone else have this issue? Any tips to get over it?
3. Finish my first go at rebuilding this site from scratch. Yes! It’s launched! You’re looking at it! I still need to tweak some styles, but I’m glad to have it out there. I integrated my portfolio and this blog onto one site, and to be honest, I’m not entirely sure it’s the best route. But, the beauty of the web (and being a developer), is that it can change and I can change it whenever I want. It’s taken far longer than I thought it would to launch this, but I’m really glad I gave myself the time and space to build this theme from scratch and try a few different approaches before settling. More on this to come.
4. Take some photos of the house and start sharing the process. Nope. Perhaps this month. Or in the new year.
5. Feel relaxed and at home in my space and life. This is a hard one to measure but I’m gonna call it done, but it’s something that I need to continue in the coming months as I’m still dealing with some things that result in pretty low energy levels and unpredictable doctor appointments, on top of the waning northeastern light this time of year that makes it so appealing to stay home in the evenings. So, I’m trying to renew this focus on creating a space — both physical and mental — that feels cozy and nourishing and productive and creative.
Onto December! I’m honestly really hoping to take it pretty easy this month, recover from this busy fall, and enjoy my life. Also, it’s my last month as a 29 year old. Thankfully, we were able to snag flights to Iceland with credit card points, so I’ll also spend December looking forward to turning 30 in Reykjavik. I’m also considering throwing myself a birthday party, but planning parties makes me anxious and we haven’t been here long enough to forge super close friendships yet. Maybe I’ll invite a mix of friends and acquaintances and see what happens. Maybe.
1. Decorate for Christmas! Due to every single weekend being full this season, we haven’t been able to get a tree! I’m excited to check out a local tree farm. I’d love to get a Noble Fir this year, but I’m not sure if they’re available anywhere around Lancaster.
2. Plan time for reflection and planning. For me, this looks like going through Susannah Conway’s Unraveling the Year workbook every year around this time. I definitely recommend checking it out if you’re looking for some guidance around reflecting and planning.
3. Take some photos of the house and start sharing the process. We did so many house projects this year, mostly painting related, and it’s starting to look good. It’s not perfect, and I’ve mentioned before that it’s hard for me to share things until I think they’re perfect, which of course never happens and then I never share. Really gonna try to combat that.
4. Finish painting my office and put it back together. We cleared out the room I use as an office weeks ago and only started painting it yesterday. It’s a small room so this shouldn’t take long. I’m giving myself a chalkboard wall to track some work stuff a la Kathleen Shannon. Also, it’ll be big enough to mess around with chalk lettering.
5. Feel relaxed and at home in my space and life. For the same reasons listed in October: I have some major things coming up that I’ll hopefully be able to share about down the road, but for now I need to focus on taking care of myself and feeling like I’m set up well for dealing with them. Specific things that will help: A tidy space, minimizing stressful social situations, keeping the kitchen stocked, books to read, exercising regularly, and a creative endeavor, such as journaling, practicing brush lettering, or taking photos.
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