I never understood why people were obsessed with simplicity until my life become, well, not simple. Then I wanted simplicity; I needed simplicity. I work full time as a teacher at a high school and then I work part time as a teacher online. My commute is an hour long. I just finished working full time as a student in a master’s degree program. These our not obstacles in my life as much as they are reasons why it is difficult. Difficult to be all the things I aspire to be. But these are also the things that help me be what I aspire to be. Again, not simple. Everyone as a different story, but can relate to the complications of life.
Random
Wear Springtime in Winter
I am not one to follow for fashion. I don’t look at style magazines except for covers you can’t help but see in the supermarket line. Here is further proof I don’t follow fashion rules. My idea: Wear springtime clothes in winter. My reason: It might make you feel good. This is my anecdotal evidence. Yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed, had a horrible migraine, and thus, didn’t have the greatest day. Today I am still overwhelmed, thankfully didn’t have a migraine, yet I had a much better day. I attribute it in part to the bright spring colors I donned. Here are my outfit specifics.
Faux Canvasing Flat Artwork
My mother painted two beautiful flat pieces of artwork for my home. My mom is awesome. And I wanted the artwork to standout in my home. Because it deserves that (and so does mom!). They currently were in two black frames. Too plain and too flat! My solution to make these paintings pop? Lance crackers! No, seriously. Keep reading to see how I used cardboard cracker boxes to create a faux canvas. Well, two actually…
Things I May Do
This post will be a growing list. These are things too small or insignificant to be considered goals. Or perhaps calling it a goal makes it too stuffy, or makes me feel crappy when it isn’t accomplished. These are fun (to me) things I hope to do this year (or the next).
- Learn a song on my ukelele.
- Make gifs.
- Upload products to TeachersPayTeachers.
- Create jute twine baskets and other diy baskets.
- Repurpose glass jars using knobs and spray paint.
- Make homemade jams and jellies.
- Make more bee bars.
- Paint with my mom. There are lots of ideas here deserving of its own post.
- Use rope to update my coffee can pencil holder.
- Use my KNK Zing (computerized cutting machine) for fun projects.
- Help my mom redecorate her spare room into a studio.
- Read 30 books in a year.
- Create my own”A to Z” photo library by taking pictures of items that look like letters and symbols.
- Become a better potter.
- Paint plywood bookshelf white and add ornamental legs (and trim?).
- Continue to pursue simplicity.
- Work with tile. Create mosaic projects.
- Create a scrapbook paper tree.
- Take cheesy couple pictures with Adam like this or the one below.
Source: bleubirdvintage.typepad.com via Jessica on Pinterest
- Create photos with inspirational quotes (because there isn’t enough of those on the internet).
- Build an online presence as an educator. I want teacher homies from all over the world.
- Plan and implement my DIY business summer camp.
- Complete grant writing.
- Research PhD programs.
This list will continue to grow. Like me.
∞Jessica
New Year’s Resolutions
I like the number 3. It is one of my favs along with 2 and 5. I am finding it hard though to like the number combination of 2013. On the unexplainable side is why I don’t like it. I know it has the obvious “13”, but I don’t have beef with that number. Thirteen has not proven itself unlucky in my life. On the plus side, 2013 has a “2” and a “3”. Multiply those numbers to get 6. Which is the same number you get if you add 2+0+1+3. And without further ado, I’ll end my most neurotic post introduction by moving onto my 6 resolutions for 2013.
1. Read more.
I’ve already started doing this and I’m smitten. I was a readaholic as a child and apparently all it takes is just one book to get back into the habit.
2. Document.
Essentially what I mean by this is to take lots of pictures and write down lots of words. I’m hoping to kill two birds with one stone by blogging about my reading (as well as other things). I already have plans in place to use my phone during my commute to help with writing. Gotta love that text to speech.
3. Exercise more.
I don’t want to become old and immobile, so moving around now should help my healthy later. I am active, but I don’t have an exercise routine and I need to build cardio into my schedule.
Since resolutions 1 through 3 require me to do more, I need to do a little less somewhere else. So…
4. Watch less television.
I already watch little television, but it is my go to after a long day of work. I’m hoping to replace this habit with reading. Or exercising. Maybe a Pilates class is in order? I know I said cardio earlier, but relaxing exercise may be more realistic. Oh, and of course, writing/picture taking. The inspiration for this resolution stems from the following chart.
I don’t want my leisure time mostly spent on watching television. That thought depresses me immensely. Reading, writing, and moving around make me happy. Happiness is queen.
5. Spend less time on the internet.
What I largely mean by this is spend less passive time on the internet. No absent minded pinteresting or pogo-ing for this girl. No searching for one thing and not knowing how I got to an unrelated site two hours later. I am going to work on structuring my internet time for the purposes of creation, not consumption.
6. Dream bigger.
I am finding the older I get, the lamer my innermost dreams become. Travel the world somehow morphs into live in another state…temporarily. Really? I am going to let the dreamer inside me speak freely. And when she gets braver, maybe she’ll blog about it.
Here’s to 2013. Here’s to possibility…
∞ Jessica