Happy New Year!

January First. 2012. Can you believe it? I can't. I remember thinking in high school that graduating college in 2009 (or 2010 like I thought) was FOREVER away! Now I think finishing up my graduate degree in 2015 is never going to come. It is coming faster than I think. Anyway, I thought I'd type up some resolutions, and announce them publicly here so I can hold myself accountable.

But first... the new look for Winter! What do you think? I thought the blue flowers were almost snowflake-esque. I will post about where the header (the part up top that says "Hems & Haws") came from in a couple days...

On with the resolutions...

1. Better Budgeting. This has to be first on the list because it is pretty darn important. Since moving into our new house I haven't been keeping track of where all the money goes quite as well as I used to, so I am going to start back up again. Also, I think it would be interesting to see just how much money we pour into this house in the 4 years we are going to live here. Maybe I can estimate what we have spent so far so I have a close to accurate count.

2. More Teaching Organization. I am teaching the same classes this semester as I taught last semester, so it should be smoother for that reason alone. I can always stand to be more organized though. :-)

3. Eat Healthier. In my opinion this belongs on everyone's list, every year! I can always improve in this area. Maybe a little less baking. Also, I'd like to try a new vegetarian recipe once a week, or maybe more realistically once a month.


4. Tackle Some Challenging DIY Projects. This list includes building a deck in our backyard, making/finding and installing cabinets above our washer and dryer in our laundry room (see this post for my ideas), and painting our kitchen cabinets white. This list may include new wood flooring in our bedroom and foyer and building some unique pieces of furniture.

5. Fabric Purchases. This last one I am afraid to type. I don't want to do it, yet I think it would be an amazing challenge if I could. I have an entire walk-in closet full of fabric... I also have a bit of a fabric hording condition. Could I stop buying fabric in 2012 until I use up what I have? I really don't know. I don't think I'll count this as an actual resolution, but maybe an ideal I could work toward. Buying fabric brings me too much joy to give up, but I know the amount I have will just continue to multiply until my sewing room is completely buried in it.

What are your New Year Resolutions? Anything DIY related?