Happy 2012!

Our latest project, which I'll write about as soon as I finish editing the pictures...

I know this is incredibly late (somehow January is already over?), but happy new year!  I've been a busy bee at work the past three weeks, and any time at home has been reserved for quality time with Mr. Great Indoors and Chewy.  Or catching up on sleep. 

Inspired by a few other bloggers (like Sara at House Bella, who created a beautiful 2012 bucket list), I've been contemplating some new year's resolutions for the house and blog.  I'm sure these will change, but in the meantime here's what I'm thinking.

Make the blog ultra-awesome and get to know other ultra-awesome bloggers.  I am so covered up with my own stuff that I forget there's a whole blogging world out there.  I might have blogs I read every day, but I forget and/or don't make time to forge connections with those people.  Some people call it lurking.  I don't know about that (lurking makes it sound like I'm peeking in their windows at night... which I don't have a habit of doing...).  But I'm going to participate in more link parties, remember to comment on other blog posts from time to time, and promote other blogs (just like Katie at Bower Power talked about here and here).  And maybe make some friends along the way!

I wrote about my daily reads a few months ago.  From top corner, L-R:  Bower Power, House*Tweaking, Design*Sponge, Brooklyn Limestone, Young House Love, Chez Larsson, Making It Lovely, The Lettered Cottage, and Centsational Girl.

Make over the guest bathroom on the cheap.  I've been itching to do something in this space for a while, especially because I feel like it's lacking so much.  I wrote here about the guest bedroom/bathroom and included one measly picture of the room, partly because it's impossible to take a picture of the room and partly because it's so boring.  So even though I hate how it's looked the last few years, I've had $0 to spend on this project and have thus ignored its ugliness.  I'll be looking for ideas and setting a super minimal budget to make that happen.  I wrote a little bit about dreams for that room, but who knows where it'll end up!

Clean out the backyard jungle.  This has been on our house's bucket list since before we even got the keys, and I want it even more now because it's the only place that gets enough sun to plant fun stuff.  I've been dreaming about an herb garden, and Mr. GI wants to get a hammock up in the back.  We just have to fight the privet.... not something I'm looking forward to.

In general, be more creative and thrifty.  I see people around the blogosphere doing something with nothing (look at John and Sherry who create all sorts of free artwork to put up in their house, including at Christmas time).  I stash away stuff like extra paint chips, toilet paper rolls (I know that seems random, but check out this craft), and bits of fabric to use later, then never do anything with it.  I plan to make one project a month and feature it here.  Everybody in this blog world tends to agree that what gets told to the interwebs has a higher likelihood of getting done (Nicole at Making It Lovely even published her lovely life list for everyone to see).

What are your resolutions this year?  Or, if you don't like the term resolutions (since most people who make "resolutions" end up breaking them by the beginning of March-- it's been proven), how about goals?  I really loved Layla's word of the year post.  My word for the year is perspective, both at work and at home.  Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I get quickly bogged down in details, so it's important for me to look at the big picture from time to time.