{via weheartit}

Like so many others around me seem to be expressing, I am more than happy to see 2009 go. Although many wonderful things have happened to me in the past year (graduating from college, finishing my internship, meeting my wonderful boyfriend), it all seemed to come along with a lot of– for lack of a better way to describe it– bad stuff. Certainly, I am not naive enough to assume that the coming year won’t bring its fair share of bad stuff, but I just love New Years for the fact that we can all start fresh with the idea that anything is possible. It’s like the perfect “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” analogy.

So, here are my obligatory 2010 New Year’s Resolutions. Some of them are specific. Some are more broad; all I believe are absolutely doable.

1. {Feel better about myself.} This doesn’t necessarily mean one particular thing about myself needs to be changed. I’m not going to say “Lose 10-15 pounds” or “Work out 4 times a week” or “Eat healthier” because my physical appearance is not the only thing I need to work on in order to feel better about who I am as a person. I need to work on making myself feel better about all facets of who I am– from my personality to my spirituality as well as my physical characteristics. My resolution is to do whatever it takes to make myself feel better about myself — inside & out.
2. {Take more photographs.} I have this nice camera that needs to be used. My resolution is to actually use it. Easy enough.
3. {Read more books.} Another rather self-explanatory one. I love to read, but I haven’t been reading for pleasure lately.  I want to change that.
4. {Take care of the people I love.} Start nurturing relationships of friends & family members. Stop focusing on the relationships that make me feel bad about myself.
5. {Do what I love.} I resolve to find a way to live a life that I love & sustain myself while doing so. As a recent college graduate with a Bachelor’s degree now in tow, I feel such pressure to do something with my degree. I have been constantly stressing myself out about finding a job. My hope for 2010 is that I find a job that allows me to thrive!

I like that I only have five. That feels manageable to me. Now, what about yourself? What goals are you trying to reach in 2010?

I admit, my “office” at the moment is pretty darn pathetic. I would give anything to live in a two-bedroom apartment & have an entire room dedicated to an office/creative space. However, at the moment I must be satisfied with it being nestled into a corner of my already cramped bedroom. It consists of what you see in the picture above; a small rickety desk that I’ve haphazardly painted white, a filing cabinet filled with unorganized “semi-important” documents as well as other odds & ends I had no other place for, & a small bookshelf that houses a few books as well as my printer. If I could have any type of office I wanted, I would use the photos below for inspiration.

What about you? Care to share your creative spaces? I’d love to see them!

{sources: great interior design + home office design + out in home + beautiful staged homes}

{via Ben Javins}

***
“Hope”, by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

***

This is my absolute favorite poem by Emily Dickinson. Especially that first line. To me, it’s perfection.

I will be back in full force after Christmas.
In the mean time, watch this cute video by one of my favorite artists.
I hope it puts you in the Christmas spirit! Enjoy!

XOX, Emily Abigail

I absolutely adore this artwork by Kenichi Hoshine. It’s beautiful. All of these prints are available to purchase here.
If anyone’s looking for a last-minute Christmas present for your favorite blogger. Just sayin’.

Here are a few gems that caught my eye this year:

This messenger bag by Moop. Except I want it in gray. I just think this picture shows it off the best.

Plank Woodgrain Ring. There’s also an owl one that I like, but I am trying to avoid buying anymore owl-related items for the time being before I begin developing a reputation.

This lovely cardigan from Anthropologie. Love the slouchy pockets!

A pair of gray Toms! I’ve been wanting some for a while now.

Do you detect a color palette preference of mine? I am just a gray kind of girl, I suppose. I hope that doesn’t say anything about my personality! Now, it’s your turn. What do you want for Christmas this year? Let’s keep it strictly materialistic. None of that “world peace” mumbo-jumbo. (I kid. But, seriously.)