Good Things

It's been forever. I have only written in this little space a few times this year...the least amount of time in all of my years of blogging. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes. Life has moved so fast this year and I cannot believe it is nearly 2017. 2017! 

I am hoping to do more blogging in this little space come the new year. The truth is...I miss it. It's nice to be able to look back on the past few years and all of the things that have happened in our lives. 

2017 is gearing up to be a crazy year. I hope to keep track of it way better than I did for 2016. I have no idea what this space will look like but I'm willing to give it a lot more time than I have been. It will be good to pick up my camera more often and document our lives. Good things are happening and good things are coming. 

A List | 31 Things Before 31

I entered into a new decade on Wednesday. I am no longer in my twenties and I still haven't quite grasped that. A lot happened in my twenties. Heartbreak. Living in the northwest. Going to college. Playing lots of music. Moving home. Meeting Ryan. Marrying Ryan. A few different jobs: coffee houses, churches, a dental office. Playing more music. We bought our first home. We had our first kid. 

Many things can happen in the span of a decade. Now I find myself in a fresh one, untouched and totally unknown. The idea of being in my thirties is actually pretty appealing. I'm ready for a fresh start, a clean slate. In some ways, I feel like I need to be a real adult now. In other ways I feel like I never will be and that's totally alright. 

Every year for the past few years, I've written a list around my birthday. This list consists of many things that I want to accomplish in the new year in front of me. Last year, I did alright with my list but didn't accomplish quite a few of them. You can see the list here....30 Things Before 30.  It's no secret that I love making lists and I love making this list every single year. I'm excited for what 30 holds. So many things in our lives feel like they are currently in transition. I'm sure I will move into 31 in a totally different place. 

Below is my brand new list. Fresh and new. 31 things before I turn 31.....

1. Read 31 books.

2. Start blogging again.

3. Get pregnant with #2.

4. Paint the outside of our house.

5. Embrace a side hustle.

6. Play a show.

7. See the ocean.

8. Make a big purchase with cash.

9. Get another tattoo.

10. Get a facial.

11. Grow Hollen Photography.

12. Get a deep tissue massage.

13. Redo our basement: paint everything, new flooring, doors, etc. 

14. Finish a song. 

15. Go to a drive-in movie. 

16. Start writing a book. 

17. Thrift more. 

18. Increase our curb appeal.

19. Travel somewhere new. 

20. Build up an emergency fund. 

21. Meal plan and decrease our grocery budget. 

22. Purge the entire house, every room!

23. Develop a product or new venture.  

24. Get family pictures taken. 

25. Complete another Jazzercise attendance challenge. 

26. Have a No-Spend Month. 

27. Read the Dark Tower Series, Harry Potter Series, and Anne of Green Gables Series. 

28. Take a class. 

29. Seasonal Fun: pumpkin patch, picking strawberries, the zoo, parades, the fair, etc. 

30. See a show at Red Rocks. 

31. Splurge on the perfect pair of jeans. 

Currently Clicking: Week #15

Each and every week, I gather links of all of the places I have been perusing in the great, grand internet. There are plenty of people out there doing big things and small things. Some of these are practical, some are inspiring. This week, I've been reading up on summer reading lists and blogging madness, a french kissing lifestyle (intrigued yet?), Tiny living, how we think we look versus how we actually look, a few grocery shopping lists because I like lists, and how to have a grown up wardrobe. 

1. My Summer Reading List (and why I quit the blogging madness). This post is refreshing when it comes to the blogging world but also includes a great list of summer reads. I need to not watch so much tv all the time. Books are always better. Read the rest of her blog as well. Her family lives out of an old bus that they have renovated. I might add, with four kids. Pretty awesome. 
2. Are you ready to live a french kissing kind of life? Do you have no idea as to what I'm talking about? Check out this lady's blog on how to cultivate elegant simplicity, how to work to live, and tend to the details of life, all with a french flair. 
3. "What is home? And how do we find it? One couple’s attempt to build a Tiny House with no building experience raises questions about sustainability, good design, and the changing American Dream"... I watched this documentary last week and I've kind of become obsessed with the idea of tiny living. Do I think we could ever do it? Probably not, but it's so intriguing to me. I can't stop thinking about it. 
4. I know this video has been making its rounds in the internet world for a while now, but it struck a chord with me a few days ago. How You Think you Look Is NOT How You Actually Look.   We all tend to be way too hard on ourselves. This is a good reminder. 
5. I always love seeing what people buy/eat on a weekly basis. Here's one. Here's another. Here's another (paleo).
6. How to Build A Grown Up Wardrobe. Step by step. I need this in my life. Nothing fits like it used to and I want to have a wardrobe of staples.