March 11 was my 2 year blog anniversary! It’s always a good idea to use these milestones to look back at your progress. In my 1 year anniversary post I discuss how I had really only just started blogging regularly at that point, and how I expected the next year to be bigger than the previous year. I think I was right about that, but I can say that I hope for that to happen again this year!

This is also my 150th post. I thought I would check in on my progress of the 100 goals I made for myself in my 100th post. I said I’d hope to accomplish 80 of them, so let’s see how I’m doing! Today’s comments will be in BLUE! Strikethrough means I have completed the goal and underlined means progress has been made, but it is not fully satisfied yet.

BLOG & WEBSITE GOALS

1. double my posting rate: I’d like to hit my 200th post by July 21, 2012. I would need to have 2-3 posts a week in order to meet that goal. I’ve been capable of doing that in the past, so I’m feeling good about being able to achieve this goal.
   (3/19 update) I’ve been doing well here, but I need to bump it up a little to make July 21–right now I’m at a pace for August. Too many days between posts lately!
   
2. add a prints/patterns portfolio
3. add an apparel graphics portfolio
4. add a wood toys portfolio
5. add a web graphics portfolio
6. add a general graphics portfolio 
7. add an invitations portfolio
8. add a photography/photo editing portfolio (?): I don’t exactly consider myself a photographer, but I sure do plan, take, and edit a lot of photos! Maybe I need to include this in my portfolios…
9. add an illustrations portfolio
10. add a painting portfolio
11. redesign my portfolio section; add some neat functionality: Hubs would have to get on board for this; his new career goal is to get into interaction design, and I want him to apply what he’s been learning to my website in general, but I think my portfolio is a great place to start!
     (3/19 update) I can safely say that I haven’t done ANYTHING in regards to revamping my portfolio yet; except some very vague ideas of how I might want it to look. Major sadface. 
12. start a recipes category: I’ve been thinking about this for a while! I don’t think it would be a super regular feature, but there are a few recipes I’d love to document.
    (3/19 update) I will be getting to this soon! I have a list of recipes I’d love to share! But it might not happen until after we finish up the kitchen. Lots of stuff is happening in there soon!
13. consider a tips category
14. add more tutorials
15. change the features section (I hate it)
16. update about section (add photos)
    
17. increase readership in an authentic way
    (3/19 update) I suppose I have done this, even if it is mainly traffic from pinterest! What I meant by “an authentic way” was that I wouldn’t make posts that were deliberately controversial or something just to increase traffic.  I currently have 400-700 page views a day. 
    
18. categorize more efficiently
19. add tags to posts that have no tags
20. make graphics for categories
21. finish my header/logo already!
22. consider featuring what I wear (might help with the “get back in shape” goal): I already feature Laelia’s outfits, but I have a passion for and a lot to say about women’s fashion as well.  My first blog I briefly authored in 2007 focused on women’s fashion a bit more, as I was so inspired by other fashion blogs out there. I’d love to get back in touch with that part of myself. :)
23. complete room tours
    (3/19 update) Well, I’m working on finishing up some of these rooms, and when that happens I can do the room tours, so there is a lot of progress happening here. Many other goals must be met before I can satisfy this one.
    
24. birthday boards category: Laelia’s first birthday board is very popular, and I loved making it. I would love to make more boards for general inspiration purposes! I think I’ll also take suggestions for boards, or perhaps make custom boards for a small fee.
    (3/19 update) I’ve done a few of these! :) And more in the works.
25. become more active in the blogsphere: I should totally be cultivating friendships with other bloggers across the land, but I’m not. I don’t think I’m doing my part. Mostly, it’s because I can barely time find to blog myself, let alone read other’s blogs. Also, although I am a confident person, I don’t say something unless I think it needs to be said (this is internet comments only), and I’m pretty reserved when it comes to self promotion, so I find myself reluctant to comment on things often (which is ironic, considering how much I write here). But following other bloggers is something I really want to and should do, and I should make time for it. I also think I should participate in more events.
    (3/19 update) I feel as if I have made some friends in the blogging community! Now I want to go to some conventions, blog meet ups, and read some of their blogs from start to finish! 

HOME GOALS

General

26. switch out all fake plants for real plants, and add more plants around the house in general, including at our front door
    (3/19 update) I made progress in regards to this goal thanks to Green Your Air, but I still want to add some succulents around the house, maybe a couple indoor trees and some plants at the front door. 
    
27. clean & touch up all the hardware; replace some
    (3/19 update) I have my front door hardware soaking in a vinegar mixture as I type, but I’m a long way from cleaning the paint of all the door hinges in the house! 
    
28. organize photos
    
29. wedding album

Living + Workspace

30. finish this room!
    (3/19 update) What does this goal even mean? Does anyone ever deem their rooms “finished”? I hate this goal. What was I thinking? Anyway, I have made a lot of progress in the room I’m sitting in, especially lately. We just finished painting in here, and while I don’t know if I love one of the colors yet, it is so nice to have fresh walls free of scuffs, pen marks (thank you Laelia), and spackle. We have come very far since I wrote this goal. I think I should make a little update this week about our progress. But, no, it is not finished…
    
31. add more lighting
    (3/19 update) We added lights to the top of the bookcases just yesterday! It adds such wonderful mood lighting, but this room is still lacking proper lighting for many tasks. So, another goal “in progress”.
    
32. add more seating: Maybe even small stools in front of the coffee table
    (3/19 update) We technically have more seating, and it’s very comfortable, but I’m not sure if it is staying. More on that in another post. 
33. make a faux mantle over the wall heater

Hallway

34. paint hallway midnight blue
    (3/19 update) We actually painted it a dark teal to match the curtains a little better, but it is all done! Not to mention adding a low chair rail and painting all the trim a crisp white (the color was a color that I can only describe as “a-smoker-lived-here-for-years-yellowed-paint”). 
    
35. gallery wall
    (3/19 update) There might not be any photos in the frames, but they are up there and waiting! 
    
36. switch out light fixture
    (3/19 update) Installed on Saturday! :) 
    
37. frame wedding photos
38. frame family photos
39. switch out switchplate
    (3/19 update) There are a few switch plates I’d love to have, but they aren’t available anywhere right now, so I’m stalking ebay and craigslist for them. :) 
    
40. paint lower half of one wall w/ chalkboard paint
    (3/19 update) We decide to nix this idea, and instead we might paint the wall heater in the living room with chalkboard paint. Does that mean this goal is satisfied, even if we aren’t going to complete it?? o_O
    
41. mirror
    (3/19 update) We did find a gold syroco mirror at the rose bowl flea for $35! It looks pretty amazing in there… 
    
42. make hall closet more efficient

Bedroom

43. strip mid-century dresser
44. paint closet interior
45. cover initials w/ fabric

Laelia’s Room

46. hang quilt
    (3/19 update) Done and done. 
    
47. paint closet
48. make a play kitchen
    (3/19 update) Hopefully for her birthday. In less than one month. Not sure that I’ll make it, because I have lots of design work to start/finish this week!
    
49. paint rocking horse
    (3/19 update) I may or may not follow through with this. The horse is now broken, and I’m not sure it is repairable… :(
    
50. easel
51. gallery wall
52. twin bed
    (3/19 update) I know the twin bed we will be using, but we are still enjoying her crib.
    
53. new rug
    
54. toy bench
55. add a chair
    
56. add finials to where the tassel garland is fixed to the wall
    
57. buy a ceiling medallion for the mobile
    (3/19 update) I want to switch this to “paint the medallion we have for Laelia’s mobile”. I’m thinking of a ceiling medallion for the light fixture instead.
    
58. new light fixture (perhaps move the birdcage chandelier in here)
    (3/19 update) I bought the little chandelier from IKEA in the as-is section for 19.99! It is not installed yet, though…

Kitchen

(3/19 update) The kitchen is slotted for the next major makeover — and we just found out we will be getting a new sink and new tile as our sink is “sinking” because the wood underneath is rotting away, and it all needs to be replaced.

59. paint
60. buy new chairs
    (3/19 update) We don’t need new chairs, we rescued some storage benches! :) They definitely need a makeover though
    
61. install a chair rail in the breakfast nook
    (3/19 update) The rail is cut, but not installed yet as we need to strip off the peeling paint before we nail it to the wall. 
    
62. make cafe curtains or roman shades
    
63. remove the wall cupboard doors for openshelving
64. install a shelf above the sink
    
65. install shelves above the stove
66. install shelving on either side of the window in the breakfast nook
67. replace the brown/black billy with a white one (it’s our pantry)
    (2/7 update) We bought white long doors, and that does the trick. ~.^

Laundry/Utility Room

68. make curtains for the laundry room
    
69. paint
70. add a shelf in the utility closet
71. paint washer and dryer w/ chalkboard paint?

Bathroom

72. medicine cabinet
73. paint
74. switch out light fixture
    
75. Étagère/space saver
    

DESIGN/CAREER GOALS

76. start on my own print line (finally!)
    
77. make posters
78. printables/downloadables
79. revamp/rethink/new etsy site
    
80. work on a project with my husband
81. design a font: This is really more of an item for my bucket-list. If I do this in the next 9 months, I’ll be shocked!
82. expand my clientele; offer design services on this blog
    
83. learn basic HTML: Ohhh, it feels daunting to even write that, but this is a skill I can totally use and would be an excellent addition to my arsenal. Plus, hubby said a long time ago that he would find it sexy if I knew HTML!

PERSONAL GOALS

84. get back into shape: I was a kinda a scrawny kid, a chubby teenager and then I worked my butt off to lose 30 or 40 pounds just after college. My mom is a pilates instructor and a personal trainer. She is a size 0! (She is 5’2″). I was definitely in the best shape of my adult life during my wedding, thanks to rigorous workouts with her. But I got pregnant a month and a half after we were married, and I gained 60 lbs! I have been making slow but steady progress in this lately, but I still have more to go before we have a—
    (3/19 update) Made some progress here. Still not where I want to be, but better than where I was. :D
    
85. second baby: Oh yes, I totally just addressed the “are you having more children” question. I want my kids to be closer in age, (I am 16.5 mos apart my brother, and it’s greatness) and I really kinda want to “get it over with” so I can return to work full time sooner rather than later. I always wanted to have my second baby before I turned 30, but it’s looking less likely (unless I get pregnant in the next two months). Now, we’d like to have less debt and I’d like to be finished with my invisalign treatment before I get pregnant again! Also, we have a lot of weddings next summer, including my brother-in-law’s which will take place in Idaho. I really don’t want to miss it because I have to give birth, and I don’t want my husband to miss out on his brother’s wedding or the birth of his child… but I’m hoping I’ll at least be pregnant again by July 2012. A part of me is totally terrified though. That’s normal, right?
    
86. get out of/significantly lessen our debt: This is a long story, and probably something I should share about because I think a lot of other people have been affected by the recession as well; but it’s a story for another day.
    (3/19 update) Made some progress here too. :D
    
87. help my husband find more time to accomplish his personal goals: My husband is kinda a genius, and I believe he has the potential to start the next big thing. When I read about Mark Zuckerberg or Jack Dorsey, I’m totally reminded of my husband. I want to give him more opportunities to work on his own side projects, but it’s hard because I also need time for my own projects and I don’t feel like I have enough time as it is, and I usually need some time not having to watch over our child in order to get things done. This is one of our biggest struggles! It also compromises goal #88.
    
88. more quality time with family: It doesn’t matter how much or how little time you spend with your family, this should ALWAYS be a goal. :)
    (3/19 update) Did I write a goal I can never cross off? 
    
89. go on a vacation!: Tyler and I come from large families that just never seemed to be able to afford vacations, so neither of us seem to think about it very often. So, we haven’t ever really been anywhere. And while we can’t really afford something luxurious or extravagant, I think we should make it a point to have a little weekender at least once a year! Yeesh.
    (3/19 update) I am going to Austin in two weeks! But Tyler is not coming with me. I still want a vacation where all we do is sit on a beach or near a pool and read and have drinks with umbrellas in them. And then maybe go to a few museums.
    
90. take more photos of everyday life
    (3/19 update) Thank you instagram! I post a lot of photos of my daily life and projects that are in progress. Follow me if you’d like! Username: jditrimares.
    
91. document Laelia’s development more thoroughly: All of Laelia’s documentation seems to happen on this blog, and I have these amazing ideas of how to keep track of what she’s doing, but it always ends up falling by the wayside! Here she is 18 months old and I still haven’t written down all the words she can say! :(
    (3/19 update) I’ve been making monthly posts about her milestones since I made this goal. :)
    
92. write more thank you cards: I used to be so good about this, and I’ve been slacking off horribly! I still have “write thank you cards for Laelia’s birthday” on my to-do list.
93. be more festive: I want to be more festive about each season that rolls around, and I always have good intentions that never seem to come to fruition. I’d especially like to try to make things more festive around our home as Laelia gets older.
    
94. host more get-togethers: Tyler and I used to have “Friday night dinners” at our house. Granted, this was before we were pregnant and we had no debt (besides student loans… but I don’t really count those!), but after we get our living space back together and things settle down, I’d LOVE to have people over at our house more regularly again. We love our friends and we don’t feel like we get to see them often enough! I miss all the warm fuzzies. ♥
    (3/19 update) Part of the reason I am so eager to get a lot of these house tasks/goals completed is because we have decided to host both Laelia’s birthday AND Tyler’s 30th here at our apartment. And after the kitchen is done, we’ll be able to have more people over. This is another goal that requires many other goals to be satisfied before we can meet this one.
    
95. make something out of our pixel blocks
96. paint more
    
97. sew a dress or a high waisted maxi skirt
    
98. take a 3rd level language class
99. crochet a zig zag blanket
    
100. document my grandfather’s work: The visual anthropologist in me is wound up to get this done! I’ve been gathering things for a while to prepare for this, but it will require considerable cooperation from my family, who I hope will understand that I’m not trying to hoard all of his creations to myself; I just want to properly document everything we have. This is easier said than done! I am very excited to share his work with the world; especially his jewelry. :)

(3/19 update) So, let’s see; I have satisfied 21 goals, and made progress in only 14! Looking back, I wish I had elaborated more on the goals I had for the living room, because I have completed a lot of tasks for this room. Also, the kitchen goals are probably going to be re-written. But I can see I haven’t really focused on many of my personal or blog goals. In my head, I feel like I will be able to tackle those once we have a lot of the loose ends tied up in regards to the apartment, which is certainly a motivating factor for me to do so. Like I stated last week, I have to finish up a lot of this stuff that is in progress so I don’t become overwhelmed when I need to start new projects! I’m hoping to have a new blog design roll out late spring/early summer which would satisfy most (if not all) of my blog goals. Then I can tackle a few of my personal goals!