setting goals & stickin' to em'.

at the beginning of the year, i set a few simple goals for myself : read more, take better care of my skin, and try something new each month. it sounds easy, because well, it is and it's amazing how much you can make it a priority to complete your goals, when you make a plan and write that shit out. trying something new each month was a sure fire way to experience as much as i can at this stage of my life, 

and to be perfectly honest, it's become my favourite goal. 

in january i made my first dirty martini at home, and i haven't stopped whipping these bad boys up since! i used to think coming home to a glass of wine was the best way to unwind from a long day, but sippin' on a dirty with 3 olives waiting for me at the bottom like a delicious finish line while cooking dinner, has changed my life. ok. maybe not my life. in february i thought of the cheesiest thing i could do for valentine's day, and sent a surprise something to paulie's office for the first time. i was a bit worried he'd get super embarrassed and turn so red he'd melt into a pile of beard and cute smile and plaid, but he shared them with his work friends and told me that as sweet as it was, 

it better not become a habit.

this month, i'm upping the ante and i'm fucking painting something! and not just any something, but an on canvas, painted with brushes and acrylic paint, near and dear to my heart something. about a month ago, i got the idea in my head, and have spent the last few weeks convincing myself to just go for it. 3 weeks ago i purchased all my supplies and then hid them away in fear in a corner of my workroom. 2 weeks ago i pulled it all out, stared at it, and then hid it away again. after a bit of support and encouragement from lisa, a lovely coworker of mine who is a crazy talented artist in several mediums especially paint, i found the balls to get started. this week has been spent planning, outlining, and actually starting to paint the first stages of my piece. my nerves got the best of me, and it came as a wee bit of a surprise. 

i normally tackle new things tits first; i like to skip the directions and instructions, get my hands dirty and just try shit out. the more i try to figure it out before i actually start working on it, the less likely i am to succeed, however this time around, i was much too scared to just pick up the brush and get at it. like any accomplished artist in history, i 'youtubed' tutorials, scoured pinterest for style and aesthetic techniques and consulted with lisa more times than i care to admit (lisa you're an effin' peach!). i shocked myself by the amount of prep & planning i was putting  into this project, and even more by how much it has paid off -- only 1/3 of the way complete, i am really proud of my progress thus far! the time flies as i work away, and i end up falling asleep dreaming of mixing colours and choosing brushes -- the excitement of watching the painting unfold before me into the image i have in my mind is beyond comprehension. of course i'm documenting the progress, and will be sure to share once i have it just how i want it. in the meantime, you can find me in one of paulie's old plaid-shirts-turned-painting-smock, in the dining room, supplies sprawled before me, sippin' a dirty and just painting my little heart out.