End of year wrap-up

It's been 365 days. Have I achieved simplicity? Humm. That's a great question. Lets see what did I do this year?

January
I started off the year with a sick love affair with toilet paper rolls:

and I planned a lot of meals!

February
Had beautiful baby boy, which led to a near brush with death.

My Birth Story

Spent a few weeks recovering....

March
Battled postpartum depression and PTSD. Finally realized I needed help and went to the doctor to get on medication and talk things out with a therapist.

Made some wall art...

and a gallery wall...

April


Happier now and feeling charged to create!!
Spray paint weather...

More toilet paper roll art...

Bunk bed curtains...

Shadow box frames...

and finally my favorite project of the year...

easy no-sew Roman Shades

May

Made a bench out of a coffee table...

Had my DNA analyzed...and I AM human after all

23 and Me

Made some more wall art...

Made a skirt purse cover

Tutorial

June
Transformed wall cabinet trash into treasure...

Reached 100 followers to my blog! I never ever thought that would happen!


Found a dead butterfly...

and put it in a frame!!

Painted half of my house.

Before

(I need a bucket lift and someone NOT afraid of heights for the upper half!)

Made tuxedo onsies for my baby to wear at his Uncle's wedding, which he to managed poop out of before getting through the ceremony.

Painted a picture...

Realized my butt is beyond help.

Booty Pop

July
Hid unsightly holes in a favorite shirt with flowers.

Made a menu board.

August
Retake on the star-burst mirror.

Had a bridal shower for my sister.

September
Transformed a blah table into a party table...

Made a little sweater for a lampshade...

Painted over pink tile...

Got a little daring with paint and a corner cabinet...

gave a skeleton key a manicure...

October
Created some fall wall art:

November
Had pictures taken in my wedding dress eight years after the wedding, which required letting it Ouuuuuuuutttttt and adding a corset back!

December
And turned highly flammable boxes into a faux-fireplace!

Whew! What a year. I did a lot of "stuff" and in the process I feel like I trimmed a lot of excess from our lives. Not everything, but a vast improvement from before. In the upcoming year I would like to continue this purging process.

I like to set goals for myself for the new year to keep me accountable. So for 2012, one of my goals would be having everything have a place and to be so well organized I can function without wanting to cry. LOL.

I also want to train my children to be the same way. Which as anyone with children with too many "things" knows, is bound to be my biggest challenge!

I'd like to end this year by saying this: From time to time I will share with you things that may make you think I'm a liar when I call this blog 365 days to simplicity. But I want to reiterate that 365 days to simplicity is not about easy glue projects, or simple recipes that require very little effort. It's about taking the time to do something, whether it be difficult or easy, to attain the ultimate goal of simplicity. It's not so much about the process as it is the end result.

 Here's to a happy and healthy new year!!