2013 is Going to be Awesome

2013 is going to be awesome! Quite possibly the best year ever. Ryan and I have so many hopes and dreams for the coming year, and we've already started to proactively pursue these interests. Last year was so task oriented, and we hit so many road blocks that our successes were overshadowed by disappoints more often than not. Not in 2013 though, I'm feeling good about this year. Instead of making a long list of a thousand goals like I did last year (see yesterday's post) I'm going to instead focus more on a life mission instead.

Our biggest goal this year is downsizing our belongings. Right now Ryan and I are trying to get rid of about half of our apartment so we can move into a smaller space by the time our lease is up in July. We've already made some progress, and I'm looking forward to achieving much more in the coming months. It feels good to clean out the clutter, ya know? Even if we don't get rid of truly half our belongings (because that's a lot of stuff), this is a good exercise in self control and discipline that we could both use.

I want to look back on my life in ten or twenty years and see travel, passion, and adventure. I'd love to have a magazine worthy home, but that's not the priority right now. I think that the "stuff" we've filled our life with is keeping us from realizing bigger dreams. And that's all I'm going to say about that today.

This year isn't about checking off boxes, or tackling massive projects. This year is about loving where we're at right now. Here it is, the 2013 Browning Family Mantra:

What are you big goals, plans, missions, or mantra for the coming year? I'd genuinely love to hear them. big kiss, bekuh

My Greatest Achievement of 2012

It would be easy for me to look at my list of 2012 goals, and get disheartened by all the ones left untouched. I left a lot undone this year, and in the coming weeks I'll be reading posts about all the amazing things that other people have achieved, and I'm sure I'll start doubting myself thanks to them. But, I'm here today to clear the air (and to leave myself a little reminder): I look at those untouched goals as my greatest achievement this year. You might be questioning my mental state when I say such things, but let me dig in a little before you write me off.

I am a list maker, and a chronic overachiever. I rarely sit still, juggle dozens of projects daily, and feel the need to compete with my personal best at all times. This can be a really healthy attitude for some people, but for me it just creates a lot of anxiety. At the end of 2011 I was in a weird place with my job, financially we were really unstable, and I was kind of an emotional wreck. To compensate for my out of control feelings I decided to create a ton of goals for the new year to "help" get my life back on track. Sounds normal right (sarcasm)? I ended up with four categories, and around 90 goals to complete in 12 months!

I did really great for the first 4-6 months; painting rooms, buying rugs, making plans for trips, and opening the vintage store online. It looked like 2012 was on the up and up. Somewhere around June I lost steam, I felt burnt out and tired of all this striving. I had just changed jobs, summer travel plans were being delayed, and then Ryan lost his job. We were still in a pretty big rut, and I was so bitter about it. The goals weren't helping. So I stopped.

For the first time in my life I stopped making lists, and crossing off to-dos, and I just let things be for a little while. By removing the pressure to perform I was actually able to take a step back, and identify real issues that needed to be addressed. Like the perfectionism. I looked around and realized the problem wasn't the lack of rugs in our house, or the fact that our vintage shop wasn't an instant success; the problem was my way of dealing with the little set backs, and dare I say it, failures. You can't compensate for the failures in your life, you can only leave them behind and move on.

I look at those goals left untouched, and see them as a turning point for me. Life is so unpredictable, and I want to embrace the changes (that will inevitably come) with grace, and understanding. Those unfinished projects have taught me it's okay to fail, or find a new road to travel down. I'm an okay person without a long list of accomplishments to carry around with me. I'm still ambitious, I'm still a dreamer, and I'm still busy. Some things will never change, and that's okay too.

Tomorrow I'll be talking about 2013, but what I have to say is going to be WAY different from last year. 2013 is going to be awesome. big kiss, bekuh

Summer's Almost Over

I can't believe those words just escaped my mouth, but it's true. Summer is almost over. The hottest months are about to be behind us and the leaves will start to change colors and fall before we know it. This summer has had a lot of awesome highs, and couple of devastating lows so I feel like it's time to reminisce about all the thing's that have happened to us Browning's this summer.

1. We spent a good amount of time outside this summer, in direct contrast to last summer when I worked too much to enjoy the hotter weather, and we had a wedding to plan. We've gone hiking, camping, tubing, and we've been on countless walks.

2. We went on a little trip to Charlottesville, to tour the historic parts of UVA and shop.

3. Nellie went camping for the first time, and another weekend trip was had by Ryan and I!

4. We made the painful decision to hold off on our cross country road trip because of Ryan's being laid off, and subsequently starting a new job. Maybe we'll turn it into a cross-country trip next summer?

5. I redid my bike! You can get all the details here.

6. We went to a lot of estate sales, and I thrifted a lot. Including two amazing mid century lamps that now sit in my studio illuminating me with inspiration, and a dresser to replace my falling apart one from childhood. Hooray!

7. Katie and I worked really hard getting the Button Factory inventory in check and preparing the necklaces to launch! We also made plans to attend Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, just for some good old girly fun. Just two more weeks!

8. My good friend Lauren came home from Asia, and I cried happy tears, and we talked a lot. Oh, and she brought me chocolate and candies that I ate almost immediately. She's also been a super willing model for the shop and I'm grateful to her always.

9. I didn't exercise enough, but I rarely sit still. Does that count?

10. We've hosted some amazing get togethers including the BBQ which featured a lot of cool Uncommon Goods items.

11. We've seen three movies which is insane when you think we only saw one movie altogether last year. We've seen Dark Shadows, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Dark Knight Rises. The last two blew me away and Moonrise Kingdom now holds the key to my movie loving heart.

12. Ryan and have been taking a lighting e-course together to better our photography, called the Study of Light, It's been very informative and I'm super excited about my new scrim for those winter months when outdoor photos become hard to do.

13. We pickled and canned for the first time ever, and joined a CSA. It's kind of an unmentioned goal of mine to produce less waste and eat less foods with pesticides. So cheers for eating in season, and organically.

14. We've spent so many hours hanging out with friends, and enjoying the little moments that come from good conversation, knowing glances, and a night filled with laughter. It's been the best.

15. My blog grew three times it's size this summer and my heart is overflowing with love for all of you lovely readers. I've loved getting to know some of you, creating fresh new content, and stretching my photography muscle as I delve deeper into my passions. I really feel like I'm pushing myself in a healthy way and learning so many new skills.

Well that's a recap of my summer thus far, just a few more weeks to push through some goals and enjoy the heat. What have you been up to this summer? big kiss, bekuh

My Bike, Lolita

Guys I have the best news! I finished my bike this past weekend, and I love her sooooo much. I've decided my green beauty with her red name plate just has to be called Lolita. It fits her no? This has been one of the longest DIY projects I've ever undertaken and the time, and patience required to do it really paid off in the end. I almost didn't share this post with you because the lovely Kaylah painted her bike the exact same color, and it looked so good. But, you know what I've been planning this since March, it has been a huge part of my summer to-do list, and I'm proud of what I've done so who cares if another blogger had a similar idea? You can see the first part of this project here.

   

I finally settled on spray painting the bike celery green, with cream accents. The light green and cream really accentuated the buttery brown seat and handle bars I'd bought, and made the chrome details really pop. The first step was taking the bike apart, which I did ALL by myself. I made a point to put all of the nuts and bolts in a special tray to avoid losing them in my tool box.

Next I taped, covered, and bagged anything I didn't want to prime or paint and went to town. Priming ended up taking a lot longer than I'd initially planned because of our daily afternoon showers. After priming I lightly sanded everything with a really fine grade sandpaper and wiped it clean. Then it was time to pull out the pretty paint. 

I worked in sections, painting the front side and then the back side, letting each coat dry a full 24 hours before working on the next. I had to sand some areas a couple of times to get the finish as smooth as possible. All in all I used 1.5 cans of the celery green and probably did a total of three solid coats on the bike. After I finished painting the green I painted the chain cover and back rack cream. Once the final layer dried I applied two coats of clear varnish to seal everything and make the bike shine.

Once I was sure that the bike was ready to go I asked for Ryan's help to ensure that I didn't scrape off hours of work reassembling it myself. We reattached the chain, tires, and added the front basket and back rack to balance everything out. I love love love the way Lolita works and I've already given her a twirl in the neighborhood. The only thing not pictured is my goofy white helmet I wear to keep my brain in tact.

Have any of you recently finished a huge project that seemed to last forever? Anyone out there refinished a bike? I'd love for you to link through to your summer projects, so I can see what everyone has been up to. big kiss, bekuh

6 months in..my goal progress

So much has happened in the last six months but time still seems to be escaping me, because we're half way through the year and I'm nowhere close to being half way through my goals for 2012. But no fear, I'll get there because a lot are currently in progress and soon to be completed. Here's a run through of what I have accomplished so far this year.

1. We launched the Button Factory online. Go Katie and I!

2. I bought an old bike and i'm half way through re-doing it

3. I've designed the Button Factory's first jewelry line and it will launch in July

4. I took a Pilates class which was awesome

5. We bought a "new" car

6. We've been buying vinyl like crazy people

7. I quit my job at Hollins and found a less demanding one!

8. Our bathroom redecoration is complete

9. We've got chalkboards in the bathroom and the kitchen now

10. We bought a new living room rug

11. I renovated an old rolling cart bought on the cheap

12. My closet is completely redone (tour coming soon)

13. I've spruced things up by painting, reupholstering, sewing, and hanging

14. We've got a bigger garden, we pre-planned, and it's growing and still alive so far

15. We've created a shipping sample for the button Factory so all our packages look alike

16. We've organized our vintage inventory in a more usable way

17. We've gotten the Button Factory's Facebook page up and running smoothly

18. I've been working really hard to share every step of the store's progress online

All-in-all this year has been a pretty productive one and I'm looking forward to finishing more goals as the summer progresses. A few goals I'm most looking forward to finishing: the studio redecoration, the Button Factory's website, sewing a summer dress, finishing the bike, and getting the house decorated in a way I like. I'm so happy to have you all here to watch our family mature and grow. big kiss, bekuh

A Year of Dreaming Big

Hello, there. Can you believe it's two thousand and twelve already? Every time I say what year it is out loud I find my mind wandering to flying cars and alien best friends, it sounds so sci-fi for some reason. But that's not what I'm here to talk about, I'm here to talk about all the adventures that are to be had in 2012. You're probably going to be seeing a lot of posts like this across the web from websites to bloggers and you're probably thinking not another goals post!? 

Well, I'm here to tell you that yes this is another goals post and it probably isn't the most original one you'll read on the internet but these goals are a BIG deal to me. Why you may ask? Well I have a lot of big plans for this year and solid goals to get me to where I need to be at the end of it. I even have a goal so big it has to be kept a secret until I reach this goal. I tried to be super realistic with my goals, but also reach a little in hopes of big things happening. The past was yesterday and today is the start of something fresh and new and the year ahead looks bright.

I have so many goals for myself this year I had to split them up into four categories: Life, the Button Factory, Blog, and Home. Each list has around 26 goals because, well, that's how many lines were on the paper. Some goals are really big like "complete the Button Factory business plan," and some goals are really small like "laugh until I cry, often." I wanted my goals to fill every part of my life so that I'm always pushing myself to move forward, to grow, to change, to be better than I was last year. If all of these were easy I'd never fill fulfilled but if all of them were hard I'd feel defeated when they were not reached at all. You have to find your balance in goal making.

I'm not going to share every goal I have with you today, that would be a little tedious for both of us. I will however share some of my goal highlights from each category so you can get an idea of my progress throughout the year.

2012 Goals for Life:

1. Complete the Button Factory business plan

2. Buy an old bike and fix it up

3. Take at least three weekend trips alone with Ryan

4. Host a craft night or all of my girl friends

5. Learn how to fully use the manual setting on my camera

6. Take a class

7. Sew a Summer dress

8. Find a new mixed drink I like

9. Redecorate my studio

10. Start a family tradition with Ryan

2012 Goals for the Button Factory:

1. Launch the Button Factory online

2. Finish the first jewelry line for the store

3. Create our branding

4. Do a photo shoot with Katie

5. Incorporate

6. Build our website

7. Organize our inventory

8. Go to at least one estate sale each month

9. Buy some display pieces to store

10. Get our social networking organized

2012 Goals for the Blog:

1. Work towards a clearer writing voice

2. Get a post featured on a bigger blog

3. Hit 1,000 views per day for a week

4. Advertise on at least one blog per month

5. Consistently link and share Friend's content

6. Feature more DIY projects in new ways

7. Try a hair tutorial

8. Plan out posts a month in advance

9. Create more in depth posts about things I'm passionate about

10. Share my goals and their progress more often.

2012 Goals for the Home:

1. Recover the chair in my studio

2. Fix the paint spots in the bedroom

3. Buy a piece of art

4. Finish the living room redecoration

5. Find a new dresser for our bedroom

6. Buy shelving units for all of our storage closets

7. Redecorate the kitchen

8. Finish hanging art in the Dining Room

9. Print more pictures to hang around the house

10. Buy rugs for the living room, bedroom, and studio

As you can see my goals are all over the place and some of the goals almost act as gifts, or rewards for other harder bigger goals. For example, I'm not going to be able to hang more pictures in the Dining room until I have more pictures printed out, or that new piece of artwork I hope to buy etc. As you can see in the blog category I plan on continuing to share my goals with you and the progress I'm making throughout the year. Would it be wonderful if at the end of the year I can look back with you at all the big dreams coming to reality? I think so. What are your goals for the new year? If you have a post you'd like to share about your big dreams please leave it in the comments below. big kiss, bekuh