Resolutions Revisited: 2014

2014 is halfway over (are you kidding me!?) so obviously I need to revisit my resolutions and somehow convince myself that I'm not a complete failure just yet.

What is it about the turn of every year that seems so promising? My full list of 14 resolutions for 2014 has been taped to the side of the fridge for the past six months; I see it every day waiting for my morning coffee to brew. I can do this! Lesson learned? Seeing does not mean doing. But I'm not going to focus on that... instead, I'll just pat myself on the back for everything I've stuck to so far for 2014. 

READ 14 BOOKS. Halfway through the year, halfway through my reading list. Feels good. Honestly, I haven't touched any books in about a month, but I flew through the first half of my list (the Harry Potter series, if you're curious) so somehow I'm magically on track for this goal. Yussss.

MAKE THE MOST OUT OF SUMMERTIME. Summer is kind of a big deal in the Ross household... we take the warm weather very seriously. For having a young toddler, I think we've been doing pretty good. Trips to the zoo, walks around the neighborhood every night. We're working on a beach trip soon, too. Plus, I've made it a personal goal to make a batch of popsicles every week this summer, and of course I'm 3/3 with that one.

MAKE OUR HOUSE A HOME. This is a slow but steady process. We just hit our one year homeaversary and still haven't hung any artwork on the walls but I'm okay with that. Most of our recent efforts have been in the garden - even though we've only completed a small section of our front yard, it was a huge overhaul. I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish so far, especially since we can only really work when Amelia is asleep. I'm excited to continue to work on our home little by little.

WASH MY FACE EVERY NIGHT. In high school and college I was obsessed with skincare and kind of fell off the bandwagon after having Amelia. Although I've had my share of weekend skips lately, this is happening on a consistent basis and my skin much happier because of it.

FOCUS ON BEING A BETTER WIFE AND MAMA. These two. They are my heart. Admittedly, there are days when I am tired, grumpy and selfish and probably not the best wife and/or mama. But mostly I try to be attentive and patient. It's an ongoing goal that I know will never truly reach perfection, but that's okay. I'm just going to keep on loving them. And also feeding them corn on the cob because it's delicious and they're cute.

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As far as my other goals, I have a lot to get cracking on. I haven't written a single letter, my sewing machine has sat in the same spot since we moved in, and all our photos are gathering dust on my hard drive. Six months has flown by quickly, but there's still a decent chunk of time left in the year. There's still hope for those remaining resolutions.

Resolutions: 14 for 2014

Looks like I'm a little late to the New Year's Resolution party, but what's a few days in the course of a year, right?

You may remember me sharing that I'm not a huge fan of "resolutions" because such broad, open-ended goals seem like set-ups for failure. Instead I have found that a few specific "to-do" type resolutions are much more achievable, and who doesn't love a good list? I decided to come up with 14 goals to focus on for 2014:

Even with such a promising list of goals, one of my problems is that I tend to forget about them as the year draws on. This year, I decided to add a touch of design to my resolutions. Now I have them printed out, hanging right next to the coffee pot at home so I will see them every morning and take note. Read a book! Wash your face! Sew that baby a dress! Enjoy some cream with that coffee, but let's keep it to a tablespoon!

You may notice some repeats from the goals of years past... I am bound and determined to write more letters! Friends, help keep me accountable on this one (and send me your address, please.) In general, I really hope to create more this year. With a new baby, sometimes it seems that I barely have a chance to shower... but I am not going to let me down. 2014 will be a great year!

Resolve.

 Woodburning by Becky Murphy of Chipper Things 

So this is the new year. And for the past week, I have sat thinking about what my resolutions would be, what words I would write for my first post of 2013. But, for whatever reason, I lacked inspiration; the thoughts and words and resolutions never came.

Of course, there's a whole slew of things I'd like to do in 2013: work on being a better wife, bake more, sew my own clothing, learn to knit, master the manual settings on my camera, eat something green every day, branch out as a designer and artist, become more gracious, write more letters to loved ones. My life is filled with perpetual lists, things I would like to be better at, goals that have yet to be completed.

Honestly? The thought of 2013 scares me quite a bit more than I care to admit. It's shaping up to be a pretty big year for Christopher and myself, with lots of changes on the horizon. We're hoping to buy a house. We're going to be parents. PARENTS!

So this year, I've decided not to resolve to do anything. I'm just going to keep going. My heart is full of so much love, gratitude, growth: 2012 was a wonderful year. I know this year will be even better, as different as things may turn out to be. Here's to 2013!

P.S. Thank you all for your sweet comments, texts and emails about Baby Ross. We really are absolutely thrilled, and I'm excited to share my journey to motherhood. I promise GH won't become a baby blog by any means, but I'll probably be sharing a lot more kid-related things, because a very large chunk of my heart now belongs to a very little person.

Summer Camping

 Instagram photos of our weekend camping trip at Chain o' Lakes State Park

It was a tent pitching, 7-mile hiking, campfire making, marshmallow toasting, nature walking, under-the-stars sleeping, river kayaking, s'mores eating, prairie wandering, hot dog roasting, lake splashing, summer loving kind of weekend.

Summer to-do: spend a weekend camping. Check.

Summer Reading 2012

If you visit gathered heart in your web browser instead of following along in a reader, you might have noticed that I've been "reading" Design*Sponge at Home for months now. Months. The truth? I was reading the Twilight series and was too ashamed to display it on the sidebar. I know, I know... ridiculous. Honestly, I didn't even like the series. It's not a guilty pleasure or anything. The books were slow, the characters were one dimensional and the final book was incredibly anticlimactic. Boooo.

Anyway, I'm more than ready to get into some reading with a little more value and interest. One of my summer to-do's is to read ten books, and these are my picks:

1-3. The Hunger Games Trilogy | Suzanne Collins I'm finally reading the Hunger Games. I finished up the first book last week and I have about 50 pages of Catching Fire left. I don't even know what to say. I had an idea of what was going to happen in the first book since I saw the movie ahead of time, but Catching Fire is so good and has me asking so many questions. What's the deal with Plutarch Heavensbee? And the whole Katniss-Peeta-Gail love triangle? And what's really going on in District 13??? GAH!

4. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? | Mindy Kaling This has been sitting in my stack of to-read books on my nightstand since Christmas, so I'm really excited to finally get to it. Mindy is hilarious and I'm excited to read all about her awkward prepubescent years. (Side note: I'm also really excited for her new show on Fox!)

5. On the Road | Jack Kerouack I'm trying to keep things light with this reading list (as all summer reading should be) but I couldn't resist throwing in some classic Kerouack, and his tales of a cross-country road trip in the 1950s seemed like a perfect summer pick.

6. Tell the Wolves I'm Home | Carol Rifka Brunt This one is a wildcard... being a designer, I judge books by their cover all the time. This is one of those books that I walked by in Barnes, spotted the cover and decided I wanted to read it. Bold color palette? Fun typography? Silhouettes?! I'm all over Tell the Wolves I'm Home and I don't even know what it's about.

7. Just My Type | Simon Garfield My friend Keitha gave me Just My Type as a belated birthday gift and it's another book that has been on my to-read list for a while now. It's a NYT bestseller all about typography. From the pages I've skimmed, Garfield pokes fun of comic sans and calls legendary typographer Jan Tschichold a douche bag. Fantastic.

8. Sewing in a Straight Line | Brett Bara This lovely little DIY book made the blog rounds last year and I've had my eyes on it since then. My in-laws gave me a wonderful sewing machine for Christmas but haven't really had a chance (or a reason) to use it. I'm definitely a novice when it comes to sewing, so I think Sewing in a Straight Line will be the perfect way to brush up on and improve my skills. If you're curious, author Brett Bara has a few free patterns from the book on her blog.

9. True Believers | Kurt Andersen True Believers is another summer wildcard... I heard an interview with the author on NPR and was intrigued by the story, which bounces back from present day and the political turmoil of the 1960s. Why not?

10. Sense and Sensibility | Jane Austen Even though I own and have read the complete works of Jane Austen many times over, I'm looking forward to ending the summer with Sense and Sensibility. Christopher gave me this hardcover copy because of the beautiful design (by Jessica Hisch, of course) and the bright green spine is begging to be cracked.

For a while after college, I went through a long period of hardly reading anything, so I'm happy to be reading again (although I was busy being a newlywed so I totally have a legit excuse.) Chris isn't as much of a reader as I am, but I love when he's into a book too (he read all the Hunger Game books months before I did.) It's so nice to read together before bed or on a lazy weekend afternoon.

Do you have a summer reading list? I think after I finish this one, I might pick a few books out from the Gilmore Girls themed list that Katie over at Hey Little Apple Blossom shared the other day. Such a great list, right?! I haven't ready the Harry Potter books, either, and I think those would be perfect fall reading. Any other suggestions?

Summer To-Do

Happy Friday! It's actually hard to believe that it's only Friday... I've been living it up this week on a mini summer vacation since the fourth. This means sleeping in, lots of reading and getting a ton of work done around the house. I've also had some time to finish up some freelance work and a few personal projects. I just completed one of my projects for the summer... an illustrated summer to-do list:

1. Stargaze. When Christopher and I first started dating, we did a lot of stargazing. There was this empty field across from his apartment in college, and we would trek out there with a blanket and some Arizona teas. We talked about everything and looked for shooting starts, and I tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I think I will always love stargazing because of this.
2. Go canoeing. There is nothing more peaceful than a summer canoe ride down a river. The way the golden sunlight filters through the overhanging tree branches is my favorite. I didn't get a chance to canoe last summer, so I really hope we can fit it in this year.
3. Eat lots of ice cream. I think this is one pretty self-explanatory. 
4. Read ten books. I haven't finished formulating my summer reading list, but at the top of it is the Hunger Games trilogy and Just My Type by Simon Garfield. I'll probably thrown in a Jane Austen novel for old times sake, too. Does you have any other suggestions?
5. Take a road trip around Michigan. I'm not sure when this will actually happen (August maybe?) but I'm really looking forward to visiting some great Michigan cities that I've never been to: Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Mackinac and Detroit, to name a few.
6. Spend a weekend camping. You know, I've never actually been camping. Growing up, my family was always more museumsy than outdoorsy. Chris and I have a trip planned with a few friends for the end of this month that I'm really looking forward too. We'll see how I feel about it once I have to pee in the woods, though...
7. Fly a kite. The last time the mister and I flew a kite, it involved running through sprinklers, an angry janitor, and three policemen. Hopefully history won't repeat itself this time around. 
8. Swim once a week. So far, we've actually kept up with this goal. Living on a lake, having in-laws that live on a river, and having a sister-in-law with a pool makes it pretty easy. 
9. Campfires. Lots of them. Which of course includes lots of hotdogs and s'mores.
10. Treasure hunt at garage sales. I went to a couple this morning but they were pretty disappointing. I think it has something to do with the heat, but hopefully I'll find some great stuff this season. I tend to gravitate towards vintage linens and nicknacks. I am my mother's daughter.

And there you have it, my summer to-dos. I'm going to print out this little illustration and hang it on the bulletin board above our desk to help remind me to live it up this summer. I really enjoyed working on this design. Who knows, maybe I'll make one for each season. Do you have any summer to-dos? I'd love to hear them!

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be crossing anything off the list this weekend (aside from swimming and ice cream) because of this crazy 100+ degree heatwave in the midwest. We've taken to hiding out indoors... tonight we're are off to see Moonrise Kingdom (which has finally arrived in southern Michigan!) and eat some wings. SUMMER!!! Have a great weekend, friends.

Summertime Magic

This weekend felt like pure summertime magic. Nice and long with 90 degree days, a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo, grilled hot dogs, hand-dipped ice cream, a day spent in the pool, staying up and sleeping in. I know it's still technically spring for another 22 days, but Memorial Day weekend is pretty much the unofficial official start to summer. Everything is warm and green and alive and smells like sunscreen and happiness.

Christopher and I have been planning out all our summertime adventures for the year, starting next weekend with A Taste of Ann Arbor. One of my goals this year is to make the most of summertime weather, and I'd say we're off to a pretty fantastic start.

Photo by Alex Paradis

Resolutions Revisited

March has come and gone, and I can hardly believe it. 2012 is already a quarter over!

How is everyone's year going? Have you kept up with your new year's resolutions? I'm not one for resolutions since they are pretty much destined to fail (who honestly can stop eating comfort food in the dead of winter? Not me.) but if you've been reading here for very long, you probably know that I do love a good list of goals. Granted, I'm not always the best at finishing my lists in a timely manner, if at all, but I sure like to make them. There's something about gathering my thoughts, writing down my goals, and crossing off the to-dos that makes me feel so accomplished -- even if my task is as simple as dusting the bookshelf. Lists just work. I'm totally a list person. 

A while back, I was featured over at Diapers and Skinny Jeans as part of a great series called Goal Setting, where I shared this list of goals for 2012:

 THIS YEAR'S GOALS: 

• Finish up some of my goals from 2011
• Try to have as many Meatless Mondays as possible
• Gather with friends more often
• Make the most out of summertime weather
• Post original content on my blog more often
• Try new hairstyles
• Make something I'm proud of once a week 

Blog friends, can I be honest with you? I've hardly done anything about these goals, even though they've been floating around in the back of my mind all year. Meatless Mondays ended pretty quickly when I tried to get Chris to eat chickpea curry. Summer hasn't happened yet, so I guess I'm off the hook with that one for now. I have been spending time with friends and working on original content for GH, but I could definitely improve in both areas. I've worn my hair the same way for pretty much the entire year, and I'm not churning out creative projects as often as I'd like. 3 out of 7? Not so great. 

That said, I knew when I set up these goals that it would probably take me a few months to come out of winter hibernation and actually do anything about them, so I'm not disappointed with myself just yet. Like clockwork, I've been feeling the tug of springtime inspiration. Everything around me is waking up, full of life and color; I can't help but feel the same way. April has arrived, and that means it's time to tackle these to-dos head on. Anyone else working on a list of goals/resolutions for 2012?

Wish List: Work it Out

Now that we're a month into the new year, how are you holding up with your resolutions? I'm not much of a resolution-maker myself, but I did come up with a list of goals to help make 2012 awesome. These goals pretty much focus around being happy, eating well, and keeping healthy. Keeping healthy (unfortunately) means exercising... not exactly my favorite way to spend 80ish minutes a day, but important nonetheless.

After the laziness of the holidays, Christopher and I have been pretty good about hitting the gym 5-6 days a week, but this week feels as if I've hit a one month slump. Here are a few items that I'm thinking may just motivate me to kick it up a notch...

 

1. Ladies, meet the Ta-Ta Tamer II. Not kidding. I have yet to find a supportive sports bra... but with the full support, moisture-wicking fabric and convertible straps of this baby, perhaps my ta-tas have found their match.  2. This beautiful typographic water bottle is made of BPA free glass - healthy for you and the environment.  3. I bought my first pair of yoga pants a few weeks ago and they are so comfy... I would live in them if it was socially acceptable. Obviously, I need 5 more pairs, and these Aerie Slim Gyms are next on my list.  4. Clean and Clear's Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub is great for cleaning a post-workout sweaty face and smells amazing. 5. If you're particular about your gym footwear, NikeiD has a full line of shoes you can customize, right down to the sole color and swoosh detail. Neat.  6. Sometimes I trick myself into exercising by playing Just Dance... a half hour of play burns roughly 200 calories!  7. I know there are a ton of fitness apps out there, but the Nike Training Club app looks amazing. It's designed specifically for women and has step-by-step videos, targeted workouts, and other great features to help you get the most out of your workout.  8. My current gym bag is a plastic grocery sack. It's probably time to upgrade to something like this cute tote from ModCloth, prefect for hauling my workout gear and shoes.  

Anyone else trying to keep up with a new year exercise regime? I'd love to hear some of your methods and tips! My routine is pretty standard... stretching, running and light weights. It's tried and true but can get pretty boring (although sometimes I get crazy and switch things up with the elliptical machine or a little yoga...  .) Maybe next week I'll try a few new workouts from the Nike Training Club app and go from there.

The Good, the Bad, the Linen-Fresh

I've made it a new weekend tradition to do a little baking on Sundays... this past weekend, I made the braided apple bread from my twelve by 2012 list. Isn't it pretty? I wish it would have tasted as good as it looked... Long story short, I baked the loaf on a pan that I had previously soaked with a dryer sheet to remove burnt-on grime.

Who knew that even after a wash or two, the pan was still saturated with the scent (and taste) of fresh linen. The bread was warm, cinnamon-y and so, so clean. Gross.

Thankfully, I've totally redeemed myself tonight with the easiest, healthiest, tastiest muffins ever. In the fifteen minutes that they've been cooling, I've already had three. Probably to cope with the fact that my identity has been stolen and some lovely Ohioan has gone on an $800 Best Buy shopping spree in my name. But that's another story for another time.

What a Monday.

Groceries: An Illustrated List

As I listed in my Twelve by 2012 post, I'm attempting to sketch more often and (to keep myself accountable) share my illustrations here. Part of my problem with keeping a sketch journal is never knowing what exactly to sketch. To get back into the habit of drawing regularly, I've decided to illustrate my weekly grocery list. Here's last weeks:

I know it's important as an artist to keep a daily/weekly sketchbook, but it's something I have always struggled with. I had one particular professor in college who required a sketchbook journal. He would check our progress every week and a half or so, and I always ended up putting off the assignment until 2 am the night before it was due. Which kind of defeats the purpose of a daily sketchbook. Now that I'm a responsible grown-up, perhaps I'll be better at staying on task. Maybe. Hopefully.

By the way, does anyone have tips for scanning artwork? I feel like I've lost some detail with this piece. And what are your thoughts on digital coloring?

Twelve by 2012

Last Thursday, Danni of Oh, Hello Friend shared a new project, Twelve by 2012: a blogging challenge to list, track, and complete twelve goals by the new year. You all know that I love lists... remember this little list of goals? Although I've (surprisingly) been checking stuff off the list, I haven't been very good at updating my progress along the way. Seeing Twelve by 2012 reminded me that I still have a few more things I want to accomplish by 2012 (which is only 73 days away!) so I thought I'd share...

My Twelve by 2012 list:

1. Send 12 friends handwritten letters.
   
2. Get to know the manual settings on my new camera.
3. Deep clean the house in preparation for winter.
4. Try my hand at making braided apple bread. (Pretty, tasty. Pretty tasty.)
5. Write and illustrate a children's book for Addie (successfully combining 9 and 17 from my previous list. Genius.)
6. Learn how to tat lace.
7. Typography flash cards. Still need to make them. Still need to memorize them.
8. Read/design covers for Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Little Princess. (Considering the fact that I haven't even started this project, I've decided that three books are much more manageable than the original goal of 11. The selections are all young adult, too, so the reading will go pretty quickly. Hopefully.)
9. Stay healthy, stay happy (This requires exercise and more fruits and veggies!)
10. Sketch/draw more often and share my illustrations here.
11. Get my work published on a blog I admire.
12. Do a little research on home ownership. (It's a big step, but Chris and I are ready-ish to start looking at houses!)

I think this is a pretty manageable list, if I do say so. It essentially tackles everything I wanted to do in 2011, with a few added goals to finish up the year. 10 weeks, 12 goals. I can totally do it. Anyone else participating in Twelve by 2012? I'd love to see your lists!

2011 Goals: an Update

Back in late January/early February, I decided to write down a list of goals for 2011. I'm not very big on New Year's resolutions because I think open-ended goals like "get organized" and "lose weight" are basically set ups for failure. I am, however, a huge fan of lists. I love lists. They're quick and easy and making them helps me collect my thoughts when I'm feeling overwhelmed with life. Not to mention that I always feel so accomplished as I cross things off... which in turn usually inspires me to start my next task. Lists are great.

Print from Mary Kate McDevitt on Etsy. Check out her fantastic Mini-Goals Chalkboards.

Now that 2011 is more than half over (where did it go?!), I thought I'd give you an update on my list of goals. I feel like I've accomplished a lot so far, and hopefully sharing will help keep me accountable with the rest of my to-dos for the year. 

1. Design a blog of my own. (obviously, I knocked this one out! Completed March 11.)  
2. Plan a fun trip to go on with Christopher. (we're hoping to get away for our one year anniversary, so this one is in the works.) (Ann Arbor! Completed September 2-5)
   
3. Typography flash cards. Make them. Memorize them.
4. Revamp my resume/digital portfolio/print portfolio. (In a big push to get a job, I revamped everything before my interview with Bethel. I guess it worked. Completed June 2.)
5. Order business cards... design them first, of course. (Check! I actually got them in the mail a few weeks ago... to be featured in a post soon. Completed June 6.)
6. Send friends hand-written letters more often.
7. Find a full time job. (Hooray! Completed June 20.)
8. Eat healthy with Chris/learn to cook healthy meals (This is a continuous goal, but I think we've been doing a really good job in general. We just need to fix our weekend fast food binges. On going, completed.)
9. Write and illustrate a children's book.
10. Exercise four times a week, at least (there was a point when Chris and I were working out every day. Sadly, our gym membership has expired and we've been slacking. I need to get back on the workout wagon.)
11. Read 11 classic works of literature. Design 11 dust jackets for said books. (inspired by the senior project of Jim Tierney, which actually got him a job at Penguin. Amazing.)
12. Get my work published. D*S or Mint would be great... ultimate goal: How magazine.
13. Create a special one year anniversary gift for Christopher (I need to get cracking on this one... only a month and two days left!)
14. Sketch more/practice hand lettering. (Ongoing process; here's a sample!)
15. Attend a design conference or artisan workshop.
16. Create some kind of goofy tradition with Christopher. (Done and done. Trilogy Saturdays.)
17. Make a baby gift for Nat & Dewy.
18. Open an Etsy shop... if I'm feeling really ambitious. (Maybe this can be categorized as a 5-year goal...)
19. Learn the art of tatting so I can make my own lace.
20. Work on a new series of illustrations.
21. Learn a little something about time management.

* Bonus: Try to figure out how to be a grown-up. (Another ongoing project... called life.)

Okay, so maybe I still have a bit more to accomplish than I thought. In theory, since the year is half over, half of my list should be crossed off. Not even close. I did cross off some biggies, though... finding a full-time job, for example. And I completely re-branded myself as a freelancer: updates to my website, resume, portfolio, business cards... I even revamped my invoices. I'd say that's a big deal.

Since the more serious goals have been taken care of, it's time for me to have a little more fun and get creative. I think I'll start working on the typography flash cards next, and spend a little more time in my sketchbook. I haven't had a ton of time to read lately, but I think I could start goal no. 11. Do you have any "classic" book suggestions? The only one on my list so far is Alice in Wonderland, so I need 10 more books!