My 2019 Word of the Year
Happy 2019, friends! 
Itās been a while since Iāve hopped on here, but I enjoyed some quality time over the holidays with friends and family and away from the computer (as it should be)! Iām always a little sad to see Christmas go, but I will say, I love the promise of a fresh start; a new, blank day planner, new visions and intentions for the coming year (I donāt do āresolutionsā), a clean, de-cluttered home (See my post about less being more, here). All of these things bring me joy and leave me feeling recharged. Which brings me to my first post of 2019; my word of the yearā¦INSPIRED. 
Iāve decided to select a word as a touch point as I move through 2019 and āinspiredā really resonates with me (Fun fact, I originally titled this blog āThe Inspired Womanā but then changed my mind 
). I want be more intentional, so Iām going to ask myselfā¦does this āfill in the blankā inspire me? I donāt want to fritter (always wanted to use that in a sentence) my time away only to feel exhausted or just āmehā. Here are some key areas Iām focusing on:
- Travel ā this is the year I am planning to check a rather large item off my bucket list. Huzzah! I am going to Austria the beginning of December to experience their Christmas season. Every time I watch the Sound of Music, I tell myself I have GOT to go there soā¦Iām going! I would also like to take one or two smaller trips, those will be TBD.
- Home ā we have been in this house for just under 15 years and Iām getting the itch to really rearrange and overhaul. I have sooooo many home projects on my list so this year I will commit to completing my top 3-5. Of course, you will be able to follow along here and on Instagram as said projects get done!
- Experience Chicago ā now that my oldest, Alec, lives in the city I have a great excuse to get down there more often and explore. Iāve already booked tickets for the Joffrey ballet in February and I plan on making it down about once a month to see and do new things.
- Art ā I love and appreciate fine art but I rarely buy it for myself. This year, I would like to pick up a couple of new pieces that I really enjoy. Iām off to a great start with my new piece, āEmmaā, by Josh Young Design House (A local Chicago artist). I LOVE her and canāt wait to find the perfect spot for her in our home. Stay tuned for more on that!
- The Blog ā this is a little less specific, but one of my biggest goals for the year. I launched this blog in 2018, so it was the year of the learning curve, and it was a huge curve! Iām still learning every single day and there is still sooo much I donāt know. That said, this year I will be focusing on growth for this blog; growth in readership, growth in photography, growth in content and growth in engagement. I wonāt bore you with the specifics, but Iāve got a list (shocker!) of steps I will be taking to make this happen.
As I read this, it seems like quite the list and I have additional item not listed here, but I know things will come up and the priorities may shift and thatās ok. As long as I keep focused on spending my days incorporating inspiration, then I will consider 2019 a good year!
I wish ALL of you the best year ahead filled with everything that inspires you and makes you happy. And THANK YOU for following along! 
I love your word of the year, INSPIRED, but I also have to say I adore āfritterā and will definitely be looking for ways to incorporate it into conversation.
Wouldnāt a Free Museum Day at the Art Museum be a great way to become inspired and not fritter away a great afternoon? Hahaā¦too much? (^o^)
Oooo ā I LIKE the museum idea! Letās make a plan!
I get the home part. I have been in my home for 26 years now, and I see so much to accomplish. Paint, updating, backyard, etc. Canāt wait to see what you have up your sleeve! You have a great sense of style! And, as an English major/teacher and home cook, I too, love the word āfritter.ā So many things come to mind. Cheers to Elizabeth Says for the last line! Bring on 2019 and your idea of āinspire!ā
Yes, more use of āfritterā in 2019!