Four Projects for 2014

Letterpress prints by hantverk on Etsy.

What I love about my One Little Word of "Story" is that I don't feel like I need to make major goals and resolutions. Aside from asking myself what actions I could take to make a better story for myself, I don't feel the pressure to obsessively plan (and subsequently feel guilty for dropping the ball) as I have in the past. The story will evolve over time, and the value will come from making meaning out of what happens, not in following a bunch of steps.

I do like a good project, though, so here are four general topics I hope to explore in 2014. 

1. Transitioning to natural makeup, body care and face care products.
Over the past 3-4 months, I've become marginally more interested in makeup than I had been previously. It's become something I enjoy playing with as opposed to something I do begrudgingly, and I can thank the beauty gurus on YouTube for that. However, as a health- and eco-conscious individual aware of the harmfulness of sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, and issues like animal testing with conventional makeup brands, I had question how I could ignore what I've learned just because I had to have that Maybelline lippie I heard about on YouTube. So, I'm encouraging myself to learn even more about ingredients, research new options, and be mindful when buying makeup. I'll admit now-- the hardest part will be finding a natural shampoo for my super thick, long hair that doesn't suck, and dealing with the fact that the packaging for many smaller natural brands is, to put it nicely, lacking in the aesthetic department.

2. Refining my personal style and make purchases with intention.
As a pseudo-minimalist, I was quite good about not buying clothing last year, except for one spring department store trip for basics and one fall thrift store trip for some sweaters. The next step for me is putting a little thought into my personal style and removing pieces from my wardrobe that don't fit with that vision. I've been really inspired by the wardrobe capsule idea by Into Mind (though I'll warn you I find the blog/posts difficult to navigate). I love the idea of the personal uniform and only making marginal seasonal adjustments. I'll probably be sharing my wardrobe capsule project on the blog as I work through it.

On the buying side of the equation, I have similar thoughts about clothes (and other products) as I do makeup. I can't ignore the story behind the clothes, like the impact of fast fashion and how garment workers are treated in other countries. I want to be more committed to shopping locally and looking for American made products when possible. I already apply a similar shopping attitude to food-- trying to source produce as close to home as possible, and supporting local farmers and food providers over chains whenever I can, and now I hope to use that mindful buying when I make other purchases. I plan to read the book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion and look into companies like Everlane when I need basic apparel.

3. Prioritize creativity. 
More specifically, I’ve learned that my sweet spot lies somewhere between the verbal and the visual, and I want to pursue several projects that combine the two-- blogging + photography, vlogging, and trying Project Life again. I'm put writing in this category too, since I think it takes a vivid imagination to be a good writer. When I need to give my creative brain a break, I will keep crocheting my granny square quilt and read a lot of books, especially a few classics and some literature from other countries, as I feel not very well-read in those two areas.

4. Doing one activity with Mark per month that we've never done before.
This is a goal aimed to bring more fun back to our relationship, as well as get us to try new things. A few ideas we've had are going to a Second City improv show, kayaking, learning to bake macarons, and taking a road trip somewhere new. We plan to sit down on the first of every month and look at what's ahead for each of us individually, and then we'll pick out a new activity for us at that time. For January, we'll be taking a French sauce workshop at a local cooking school, since sauces are one of the kitchen skills we're not too knowledgeable or proficient about.

And that's it! I love how each item connects to "Story" in some way and that there are no hard and fast rules about them. It's all about living life with a little more intention and doing what feels good to me.