2011 Resolutions

Happy New Year!!

This is a candid picture a friend of ours took at his New Years Eve party right after the ball dropped.

I took one of those blogging breaks that i like to take so often this finals/holiday/birthday season. I really wanted to blog and I still read blogs every day even if I don't write or comment but I just didn't feel like it? I don't know I think it was this pressure that putting on myself that my blog isn't that good and it never will be so why try? I thought about it alot over the holidays and really wanted to take the whole surge everyone gets after the new year and put that into some resolutions I made. Perhaps this does blog suck- but at least in 2011 I can say this will suck with gusto!

#1 Reconnect with Friends

I have this bad habit of making great friends and then not keeping in touch. School and work are always number one priorities so I almost use that as an excuse to not stay in touch with good friends or fade away from old friends. I would really like to strengthen my existing friendships and reconnect with some old friends that I've been missing and would like to see more in the future. I'm learning that this isn't high school were you see your friends everyday and don't have to try. Now, in our more adult lives you do have to try and make this relationships happen and stay connected or your friendships will fall away or disintegrate. It's something that has taken me a bit to learn but in 2011 I would like to not be such a homebody and do the same things over and over again but seek out new friends and old friends and interact and live my life with theirs more.

#2 Fibers Crafts

2011 is the year for me and yarn and my sewing machine. I can feel it! This year I would like to focus on getting focused and serious about my hobbies. I feel really comfortable with crochet and Ross' mom Suzanne was so kind to gift me knitting needles and books to learn how to knit. I also got a set of round knitting looms (thanks 50% off Michael's coupon!) and have had tons of fun experimenting on that so far. (I made a little bobby looking knitted hat!) Ross gave me a beautiful Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas too and I would love to sew up some napkins and dish towels and an apron to all match and inspire both sewing and baking ideas. I can feel so much creativity for this year and I'm excited to have an easier school schedule and graduating this semester to focus on my hobbies some and loosen up and have fun.

#3 Blog 5 days a week

I am going out on such a huge limb but I would LOVE to be able to have something I'm proud of online and a 5 day a week blog. Sometimes when I look at my blog I get a little down because it's sporadic and not too creative or a representation of me. It sometimes feels like a chore and I, while trying, never got the real flow of it or got my blog to point where it would be a creative outlet and something to be really proud and happy of. This year I am going to try and really spend some time (especially before the school year begins) on making this blog look, sound, and feel the way I feel and what I want to put out there. I started this blog when I was coming out of a time where I was severely depresses and had communication anxiety to help me find my voice and self again. That was a long time ago and I'm a very different person today but I do still feel like i'm finding my voice and I might always be looking for it but this blog and my new years commitment to it is going to help me in my journey. As always I've so very pleased you've spent some sidebar time on me and feel so blessed I've *met* so many great people through blogger and online.

I have loved reading new years resolutions that others have posted and I'm hopping that together with all this excitement and energy we can all make some greta change in our own lives and in the lives of others. Here are some thing I'm really looking forward to in 2011

Going to the UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting in NYC in February

Ross' 25th birthday

Graduating from ASU with my Bachelors

The birth of my brothers third baby in July

Applying for graduate school and maybe moving to a new state.

What are some things that you are looking forward to in 2011?

-mari