My 2019 Word of the Year

Happy 2019, friends! 🍾 It’s been a while since I’ve 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)! I’m 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 don’t do “resolutions”), 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 year…INSPIRED. ✨

I’ve decided to select a word as a touch point as I move through 2019 and “inspired” really resonates with me (Fun fact, I originally titled this blog “The Inspired Woman” but then changed my mind 💁🏻). I want be more intentional, so I’m going to ask myself…does this “fill in the blank” inspire me? I don’t want to fritter (always wanted to use that in a sentence) my time away only to feel exhausted or just “meh”. Here are some key areas I’m focusing on:

• Travel – 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 so…I’m going! I would also like to take one or two smaller trips, those will be TBD.
• Home – we have been in this house for just under 15 years and I’m 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 – now that my oldest, Alec, lives in the city I have a great excuse to get down there more often and explore. I’ve 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 – 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. I’m off to a great start with my new piece, “Emma”, by Josh Young Design House (A local Chicago artist). I LOVE her and can’t wait to find the perfect spot for her in our home. Stay tuned for more on that!
• The Blog – 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! I’m still learning every single day and there is still sooo much I don’t 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 won’t bore you with the specifics, but I’ve 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 that’s 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! 💕