I’m teaching my students a little Emily Dickinson this week. She’s one of my all-time favorite poets. This quote is a perfect example as to why.

Ah, yes! It’s the beginning of a new year which means everyone is feeling all shiny & happy & we all have the highest of hopes for the months to come. And, what’s wrong with that!? As cheesy & over-used as it may seem, it’s so wonderful to be able to metaphorically start fresh every year. Kevin & I went to the grocery story & stocked up on healthy snacks for me (that being part of one of my “resolutions”). Our cart was filled mostly with fresh fruits & veggies. It was intriguing to see how low in stock the store was on fresh produce. I’d be interested to find out if that has any correlation to all the people & their New Year resolutions. I would put money on the answer being yes!

That being said, I’m keeping my resolutions small & simple this year. I know I’m a couple days late, but here are my resolutions for 2012 (in no order):

1. Drink more water. I’ve already begun this one, but I want to keep it going. I like to freeze lemon slices & plop them into ice water. There’s really few things that are more refreshing! We all know how important our water intake is, so this resolution needs little explanation.
2. Cook more! I’ve actually already started this one as well (I’m on a roll!). I made a delicious homemade soup a few days before Christmas. It was GOOD if I say so myself. And, even better the second day! I’m so spoiled because my boyfriend is such an amazing cook. But, I feel like 2012 is the year for me to step my game up. My sister also got me an adorable apron for Christmas that needs some serious breaking in! Oh, and I want to not only cook more, but cook healthier as well.
3. Be kinder to myself. I seriously, seriously, seriously need to cut myself a break! I am determined to stop being so hard on myself & do little things to pamper myself. More massages . More manicures. More bubble baths. More time to unwind & not feel guilty about it. Less worrying about what others think of me. Less being my own worse critic. It’s time for me to learn how to really love myself.
4. Shower those that I love with appreciation & adoration. This one is self-explanatory as well. I have some really amazing friends & family in my life. I am determined to be more selfless & show them how much they truly mean to me.
5. Work out or shut up! I am constantly whining about my weight & how out of shape I am…as I shove chips into my face & watch my third episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey. So, I either need to get off the couch or stop bitching about my physical appearance to everyone. It’s annoying me, so I can only imagine how annoying it is to others! I plan on really working out this year! I’m still researching gym memberships, but I’m also considering actually purchasing a tread mill. That way, I’ll have no excuses!

Well, there you have it! Here’s to an amazing New Year with endless possibilities!

I’ve blogged about Sandra Juto‘s work in the past, so it’s no secret that I think she is an incredibly talented artist. These prints that are on sale in her shop right now have me swooning all over again! They are fun, colorful, & full of wonderful little details. They’d be a nice addition to any art collection!

Here is a little round-up of inspiring pictures with a little holiday twist!

(Clockwise from top-left: 1|2|3|4)

I love, love, love it when people get creative with their holiday decorating. I especially love when they veer away from the “classic” bright red/green combo & put their own creative twist on it.

(Clockwise from top-left: 1|2|3|4)

Twinkle lights never, ever fail to put me in the holiday spirit! My apartment is currently decked out with enough twinkle lights to make it feel like daytime in the middle of the night. And, that’s just the way I like it!

(Clockwise from top-left: 1|2|3|4)

Not only is there no snow in my neck of the woods, it’s unseasonable warm (60 degrees on December 21st!?). So, at the moment, I’m forced to look wistfully at these beautiful winter wonderland photographs & hope for my own taste of it before the end of winter.

What gets you into the holiday spirit?

 For those of you following me on Google or any other type of reader, I wanted to share my new blog layout. I’m pretty proud of myself because I’m not exactly a pro when it comes to web design, so it took me a lot of time to get it to look the way I wanted it to look. I was going for a fresh, light, & airy feel. I used a lot of freebies from the amazing Pugly Pixel. If you haven’t checked that website out, you really must. So many great resources!

So, what do you think of the new layout? Do you like it? Any suggestions on how to improve it?

I am breaking my blog silence to share with you some photographs of my sweet nephew Eli’s nursery. My sister did such a great job making it an inviting space! I especially love the shelf display with the “A” to “Z” bookends! So inspiring & whimsical.

(Photo credits go to my talented father.)

{1. Owl Pumpkin;  2. Scalloped Pointelle Loop Scarf in Orange;  3. Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate;
4. Cute pumpkin cupcake;  5. Oval shaped Flowers Print / Orange / Yellow;  6. Erika Persimmon Duvet Cover }

Fun fact: I’m obsessed with everything pumpkin! Seriously, you guys. October is one of my favorite months (in part) because I can unabashedly express my adoration for the color, flavor, scent and any/everything related to pumpkins! With that being said, I’ve decided to hand-picked a few of my favorite pumpkin-related items to share with you. I am especially fond of the owl pumpkin. He/she may be making an appearance in my home sometime soon.

Do you have any obsessions that come along with a particular month or season? Are you as obsessed with pumpkin as I am?

Meet Basil! She’s the newest addition to the family. She’s a petite little Siamese beauty whom I’ve already grown to love very, very much.

Clearly, I’m not the only one who has fallen for Basil. Harper’s a pretty big fan as well!

With that being said, I’m excited to be blogging again on a semi-regular basis! It feels good. I have some really, really great posts & ideas swirling around in my head. I don’t know what it is about autumn that makes me feel so utterly inspired, but I LOVE it.

Since I am trying to avoid doing any actual work at the moment (I’m looking at you, pile of essays I must grade before Monday), I thought I’d distract myself by participating in  this A to Z of me that I found on Liz‘s blog! So, here we go!

A. Age: 25
B. Bed Size: Queen
C. Chore that I hate: Folding & putting my laundry away. I swear I’d pay someone to do this for me if I could.
D. Dogs: I have an adorable German Shepherd/Border Collie mix named Harper!
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.
F. Favorite color: Any shade of green or blue.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver.
H. Height: 5’5″
I. Instruments you play: I used to play the clarinet in high school, but I quit after the 9th grade because I didn’t think it was “cool”.
J. Job Title: I’m a high school English teacher at a local charter school.
K. Kids: They’re cute, but I feel slightly nervous around them.
L. Live: Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio
M. Mother’s name: Valerie
N. Nicknames: Mostly just any variation of Emily (i.e. Em, Emmy, etc.)
O. Overnight hospital stays: None so far. Thank goodness!
P. Pet peeves: Small talk (I’m not good at it). People who are crude just for the sake of being crude. I guess that’s about it. I’m sure there are more that I’m not thinking of.
Q. Quote from a movie: “Too many guys think I’m a concept, or I complete them, or I’m gonna make them alive. But I’m just a fucked-up girl who’s looking for my own peace of mind; don’t assign me yours.” From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
R. Right or Left: Handed? I’m actually left-handed!
S. Siblings: One radiant older sister. She’s actually expecting her first baby soon! :)
T. Time you wake up: My alarm is set for 5:55 AM. I typically wake up by 6:15 though. The snooze button is my friend.
U. Underwear: My current pair are white & from H&M. That is all.
V. Vegetable you hate: I’m trying to think. I like mostly all vegetables. Except maybe beets. They kind of weird me out.
W. What makes you run late: Trying to pick out an outfit in the morning! Every. Single. Time. I really need to start setting out my outfits the night before.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth.
Y. Yummy food you make: Honestly, I need to get better about making food. My boyfriend is just too good at it. I’ve made a pretty delicious vegetarian curry before! I’m good at making pasta dishes too!
Z. Zoo animal: I can only choose one!? Well, I love the giraffes & the gorillas. They are always so animated. Oh, and the lions! Sorry, it’s just too hard. I really love the zoo!

Well, that was fun & killed about…seven minutes! If you do this, make sure to leave me a comment telling me!