Here Comes 2012...

**Warning: I think this is the most text I have ever typed for a blog post...just beware!**


So 2012 is finally here...well, it's been here for a little while now...but oh well. It's still fairly new. I know lots of people do the "let's look back at what we did in 2011"...I don't know if I'm that organized...but I'll think about it :-) It would be fun to see if I really did accomplished things in 2011. As for 2012, here are my "plans" (haha, MY plans...God is probably laughing at that right now...but it never hurts to have a plan with the expectations that they'll always change...hopefully for the better). 


p.s. I understand this is very text heavy...I just might add some pictures later for some eye candy. But only if I find good pictures :-)


12 House Resolutions for 2012:


1. Hang new bathroom hardware!!! I'm hoping to get this done asap...but I want to make sure I'm putting it in the correct spot...who knew I could get this excited about a toilet paper holder?!? I guess when you've gone without one for 2 years it gets ya :-)


2. Get our back room heated. Some of our plumbing to the upstairs goes through a wall in that room...last year, one of the pipes froze (and again this year). Yeah, not fun. Thankfully nothing burst...but there's always the chance. So this room definitely needs to get heated. Plus, it'll be nicer to do laundry with heat then without :-) This should definitely get done by January (even though we were hoping to have it done by November 2011...obviously that didn't happen). 


3. Finish painting the stairway!!! Seriously, that has sat half painted for way too long. It's embarrassing. I need to put a second coat of our wood paint (Dover White by Sherwin Williams) on the stair risers, finish priming the walls and the trim, painting the trim with wood paint and then finish painting the walls. Woah! I'm hoping to get this all done by mid-February...but let's be realistic...it'll probably be the end of March. 


4. Finish painting the trim in the kitchen. I need to caulk a bunch of the spaces (not a fan of caulking...but it works well, so can't complain). And then prime and paint. Definitely want to get this done by January. I could get all of this done in a weekend if I really tried. 


5. Make hard backers for the chalkboard squares that are in the kitchen. This should be simple. Famous last words. 


6. Put up the backsplash in our kitchen. We have had this for over a year and a half, but have never actually installed it! We still need to get the top "nose" thing...I can't remember the exact termage...but it'll look pretty :-) I'm hoping to get all of the backsplash fully installed by the summer.


 7. Start working on the back room (which will become a mud room/half bath). We definitely won't be able to start this until student loans are paid off (which will hopefully be in April - yay!). And this project will be quite a process. First we have to tear out all of the gross dry-wall that looks like wood paneling. Then we need to demo a window and replace some rotting studs. We will probably have to hire a contractor for that part. Replace the exterior siding where the window used to be. Build walls for a half bath. Add plumbing for bathroom fixtures. Dry-wall everything. Install new tile flooring to match the kitchen. Build new trim. Replace the door to bathroom so people can't peak in (wouldn't that be scandalous). I'm definitely not expecting this to get done by the end of the summer (although, that would be nice). But hopefully we can get it done by the end of 2012. If we can't, it's not the end of the world :-)


8. Finish making my curtains. I made 2 sets last year - one for the living room and one for the dining room...then got busy (or lazy...whichever you would like to pick). So, it's time for our downstairs windows to not be lopsided anymore. I have 3 more windows to cover in the living room and 1 window in the hallway.  


9. Actually reupholster my wing-back chair that I've had for 2 years. I am deathly afraid of starting...but when is a better time to start then now, right? Ok, we'll see...


10. Re-organize my office. Yeah, RE-organize. Obviously the first time didn't work. I bet I could throw away half of the stuff that has accumulated there. And it's one of the first things people see when they enter our house. So this is definitely a top priority project. I'm hoping by February it will be in tip-top shape. 


11. Organize and decorate Trey's office. That space is a pit. It's gross (not because of Trey...although.........just kidding :-) It's because of all the pet hair and papers and random junk sitting around). We bought furniture for it when he first started his job in August of 2010 and never really have organized it since then. So I think it's about time. Plus our dog sleeps in there at night (that's where her kennel stays), so all of her stuff needs to find a good place too. As for the decorating, yeah, I'm mostly leaving that up to Trey...and by mostly I mean I approve everything first...haha. But it's his man cave. And I want him to love it :-) As long as it's not too hideous. 


12. Re-decorate our guest bedroom. I have the paint, a new bedspread, some accessories...now I just need to put it all together. Plus clean the place out. Right now it is our "spare" room...meaning when people come over and we need a place to throw stuff, that's where we put it. Now you know. So don't you dare open that door if you come over ;-) Oh, and that's where our cats liter box is right now...because the back room isn't heated. Oh, it's a vicious cycle. 


12 Personal Resolutions for 2012: (and these are not in any certain order)


1. Finish paying off my student loans! I seriously cannot wait for this to be done. We should be finished in April...that'll be such a HUGE weight off of our shoulders. Ahhhh!!!


2. Be better at tracking our monthly expenses. We do a decent job, but we would like to know where every penny is going...that way, in the words of Dave Ramsey, "Live like no one else so you can live like no one else". I think that's right...


3. Be more active. I play volleyball once a week, but I really should do more. I could join a zumba class, or get a membership to our community gym (which is super cheap)...something. I will do something.


4. To be more purposeful in our ministries through Church. We lead a young married couples life group. And let me tell you: it-is-a-blast! We love it. The couples in our group are amazing. But I still want to be more purposeful in how we approach this group. I mean, it is about "life", which is a pretty deep subject. 


5. An item for an item: meaning when I buy new clothes, however many items I have bought is how many items I must throw out of my closet. We don't have a lot of closet space in our house and whatever closet space we do have is stuffed. So I'm hoping this will help me keep it under control. And to help me not get greedy about clothes. 


6. Be better at reading the Bible everyday. I always have good intentions...and I read a devotion almost everyday...but I need to just read the Bible. I know it will do wonders for my soul. 


7. Eat healthier. We signed up to participate in a farm share with some friends, which means sometime starting in the May or June we will get a weekly share of vegetables and some fruits (I think...). They're all home grown and organic. Plus it'll force us to eat more vegetables! Which I definitely need help with. I'm a fruit girl. Trey is a veggie guy. So we even each other out :-) Isn't that how it works?


8. Get to work on time. I'm terrible at that. Thankfully I have a boss who is somewhat flexible. So as long as I get my 8 hours in I'm good. But I really should get there by 8am. Especially since my office is really close to my house. 


9. Make my bed every morning. I am terrible at this. Trey is normally the last one out of bed (Since he works at home he doesn't have to get up and get ready for the day. He just wakes up, turns his computer on and he's ready. So not fair). But when Trey makes the bed...let's just say it's not right. Am I O.C.D.? Probably. Do I care? No. It is just so nice to walk into the room later in the day and see a clean bed instead of jumbled sheets. 


10. Take more photos of everyday life. I have lots of pictures of birthdays, Christmases, etc. But not a lot of just us. I'm anticipating that Trey will say I'm silly...but when he's old, he'll thank me...I hope! 


11. Be more positive about my day job. I admit it, I sometimes get frustrated with my work environment and complain about it. I know I'm not going to work there forever, but I need to remember to be very thankful that I actually have a job...and it's in the field that I went to college for. I get to design buildings, make decisions, argue about what is more sophisticated, etc. But it does get frustrating...I just need to remember how blessed I am. Very blessed.


12. Give all of my worries to God. There are certain things in my life that have not gone like I expected. Of course, that's life...I just have to not worry about them and remind myself that God has a much better plan for me then I do for myself. And everything will work out fine. 


There you have it! My goals...we'll see how well I do. What are your goals and/or aspirations? Please do share :-) Now onto projects and self-motivation! Have a great week!


Kristin