If you fall asleep in the bathtub on New Year's Eve, this is probably how you will feel in the morning! As we begin this New Year, I am reminded of a quote from
Anne of Green Gables, "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet." But in this case, we have a whole year and more excitedly a whole decade with no mistakes in it yet! It is a great time to think about the bad habits we want to leave in 2009 and what we would like to accomplish in 2010! For some of you, that mean after your head stops throbbing but it's never too late!
I wrote about
Write It Down, Make It Happen in my
New Year’s Day post two years ago and I think it's worth talking about again. I often make lists of the things that I want to do and I think they definitely help me achieve my goals and keep myself on track. This book is filled with the inspirational stories that we can all use to motivate ourselves. Instead of focusing on the negative New Year's resolutions, it is definitely more fun to focus on the positive things you want to accomplish in 2010.
- I will continue to build my business and blog in 2010. I have a lot of great things in the works for 2010 and I can't wait to share them with you. I've worked really hard for the past two years and it's nice to finally see some rewards coming!
- I will find a business manager in 2010! I will find someone to help me with the aspects of my business that are better left to an expert! If I was interested in business, I would have majored in it instead of art history. I know where my strengths lie and this is not one of them!
- I will either move to a bigger apartment or get an office in 2010. I have fabric samples overtaking my apartment on a daily basis so it would be nice to more space for them! I have discussed sharing an office with a few other designers so that is another fun option. Working alone is hard for all of us and it would be nice to be able to bounce ideas off another person or just commiserate.
- I will figure out how to have someone help me in 2010. I have a lot of people offering to work for me but as some of you can relate, it's hard to let go and hard to figure out what to delegate when you have been doing all the work yourself. I don't think I could ever let someone else help me with my blog but it would be nice to have someone around to return fabric samples or write up purchase orders! Of course, this would be a lot easier with the office!
- I will travel more in 2010! I felt really guilty taking time off in 2009 since I was the one doing everything. If I have help and someone to mid the store, so to speak, while I'm gone, it would be easier to get away. Travel is so inspiring and motivating and I really need to make it a priority!
- I will make money from my blog in 2010! Contrary to popular belief, I don't make a lot of money off my blog but that is going to change in 2010! I'm making it a top priority!
- I will volunteer more in 2010! I support a lot of charities but I don't often have time to volunteer in person. It is my goal this year to follow through on my plan to create a Habitually Chic Cares volunteer day where my readers and I can make a difference for a local organization!
- I will take a class in 2010! I keep saying that I am going to take a French class so I can improve my skills and finally become fluent and I hope I can make that happen this year!
- I will not sweat the small stuff in 2010! Nuff said!
- I will be really happy in 2010! I can already tell this is going to be a great year!
As my friends can attest, I am a big proponent of the power of positive thinking and on that note, I leave you with the following quote from Edith Lovejoy Pierce, "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day!
Top Image by Pamela Hanson
Sometimes you find a blog that is so fantastic that you can't decide if you want to be the author, their best friend or pack your bags and show up on their doorstep and hope they don't call the police! I think I can unequivocally say that all three thoughts ran though my mind when I first read Slim Paley and saw her beautiful homes! The author is an interior designer who lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her husband and two boys. She has chosen to remain anonymous and I don't blame her. I did the same thing when I first started my blog because I wasn't sure how the designer I was working for at the time would respond. Just because someone wants to dip their toe into the blogging pool before jumping is no reason not to welcome them.
Sun Valley House in Winter
Santa Barbara Living Room
Santa Barbara House at Christmas
Santa Barbara Bathroom
Sun Valley in Summer
Slim Paley's Rose Garden
Slim Paley Table Setting
Trip To Africa
Trip to the Grand Canyon
Trip to Greece
Above and Below, Trip to Kyoto, Japan
