A Resolution and Some Crafting/Creating Inspiration {Chalk Style}

HAPPY 2014!!!!

I spent this year’s NYE surrounded by my family.  The absolute BEST way to start a brand new year.  My boys were SO excited to stay up ‘til midnight.  Only one made it and he said it was the BEST party ever.  Bless.

They even got to drink their Kool Aid from the "fancy" plastic flutes ;)

My mom & my sister.  I love.

I spent the better part of New Year Day {ummm…night} cleaning up puke.  My littlest decided to get the same bug I had and OHMIWORD.  It was a war zone in here last night.  AW.FUL.  I’m pretty sure I did about 3 loads of laundry between midnight and 3 AM.  Poor baby.

Now here we are.  A brand new year.  A time to start all over.  Make promises and resolutions…most of which we {most likely} won’t keep.  I might be speaking for myself, but it seems that I always start real strong, but by mid-February, my resolutions slowly start to fizzle and I *promise* myself I’ll give it a better try the following year.  

So this year my RESOLUTION {singular} is simple.

Because life is too short to be anything but happy.  I’m pretty much a happy person 99.9% of the time {except when mean people aren’t playing nice} but I need to do MORE of what makes me…and those around me…happy.  And most importantly, I want to steer clear of anything and everything that isn’t nice. 

I want to make my boys happy…my husband…God...my family & friends…my school babies…my coworkers…and complete & total strangers.  I just want to be the kind of person that makes people happy.  Plain and simple. 

And I want to do things that make me happy, too. 

Plus…I REALLY want to read the bible cover to cover.  I want that to be one thing that really doesn’t fizzle out.  

So in a nutshell, that’s my goal for 2014.  Do more of what makes me…and those around me…happy.  Oh…I need to give up fast food in a BAD way.  I gave up sodas last February and haven’t had a carbonated drink since then!  But fast food is soooo easy.  And it’s a vice.  And well…it’s just GROSS.  So I need to stop that.  But I might have a hard time saying goodbye to Chick Fil A, so I won’t be too hard on myself when I decide to stop by and indulge in a chicken sandwich.  If it makes me happy, I might have to partake :)

Now it’s upward and onward.  Looking forward to a new year full of God’s blessings.  Here’s 2013 in a nutshell…

Welcoming my precious nephew to the family

Adopting our precious rescue baby, Lloyd

Spending an “adults only” week in Chicago

Summer fun with my sweet boys

Having a Kindergartner & a PreK baby with me at school!

Presenting for SDE…such a fun experience!

Meeting new friends :)

Nashville with my girls

Upgrading to a King size bed

Deleting Candy Crush from my phone {it’s the devil, I swear!!!!}

Date nights with my best friend

Meeting an angel on an airplane

The day our rescue baby went missing

Puppy seizures {they’re real.  And they’re scary}

The Atlanta airport {I’m pretty sure it’s the devil, too}

The first week of Kindergarten

Mean spirited people

Tummy bugs and fevers

My child’s picky eating habits {totally my fault, by the way}

Celebrating my 10 year anniversary with my best friend {somewhere tropical…we still can’t decide!}

Running {er…walking} a 5K with my girls in March

A healthier lifestyle

More random acts of kindness!!! 

Reading the bible cover to cover

My nephew’s first birthday {in just a few weeks!}

Kindergarten graduation {for my baby.  Kind of.  I’m actually a little sad}

Spring Break

The end of the school year

Vegas in July!

Girls trip

Making MANY more memories with my sweet, sweet boys!!!!

Now it's time to link up with Blog Hoppin' for some New Year inspiration.  Today's theme is creating and crafting.  Yes...I do love to create.  When I have the time, I enjoy crafting, too.  My latest obsession is chalk art.  I.AM.OBSESSED.  I love "creating" chalk art.  I use the term "create" very loosely because most of my chalk art is inspired from prints I pin to my Chalk It To Me pin board.  I'm not talented enough to come up with these ideas on my own.  Everything I chalk is freehand.  It takes me forever...but I love it.  It's so cathartic.  I'm always on the hunt for more chalkboards.  My husband's jaw drops to the floor everytime I come home with a new one...and not in a good way.  I think he wants me to take interest in something else.  But seriously...I'm obsessed.  Here are a few from this past year...

This one was inspired by Lindsay Letters.  Her prints are TO DIE FOR.  Like, INSANELY beautiful.  She has an unbelievable amount of talent and you need to check her out.  This one of mine, notsomuch...but hers.  OMG.  I begged Mr. Spouse for the print to go over our mantle, but he won the battle, so I had to *attempt* to make my own.  Maybe next year {sigh}.

You can link up with Blog Hoppin, too!  Just click on THIS LINK and link up with your latest creations and crafting inspiration!!!  

Now it's time to do more laundry...the bug isn't out of the house just yet...