new year's resolutions

a few years ago i wrote a paper about railroad photos and the role of chance/risk in world's fairs exhibits, corporate propaganda, and architectural photography. a part of me has forgotten why i love art/architectural history, but images like this help remind me why i signed up for a PhD program. this blog has kept me sane for the past year or so, but i seem to have lost sight of my actual 'job,' which is being a grad student. sooo...

resolution no.1: get this dissertation moving!

recently my new roommate moved out because of a severe cat allergy (i have two cats). so matthew and i are finally living in our own place, sans roommates, for the first time since before we were married. i've been using the little bedroom as an office for two weeks, and it's been heaven.

which got me thinking....why not do a house photo tour for the blog? i'd like to think that i'm a tidy person, but i've definitely let things slide as of late. generally we throw parties once a semester in order to 'force' ourselves to clean the apartment. but there are quite a few unfinished projects that have gathered dust over the past year, and i'm sorely embarrassed by my procrastination.

resolution no. 2: finish all those home improvement things on my to-do list and photograph the results in a month or so. i spend a lot of time on my wardrobe, but it would be nice to take pride in my home, too. i've always loved Design Sponge's home tours, and i've admired photos of other bloggers' lovely homes. maybe it's time for me to take all this inspirational energy and do something with it. i don't think we'll be able to paint the walls in a timely fashion, but we can frame new prints at the very least!

i won't bore you with my other resolutions. they're the usual "be nicer, exercise more, read books for fun, spend less money, etc." sort of thing.

our new list of places to visit sooner rather than later is:
1. india
2. japan
3. iceland
4. france
5. scandinavia
6. china

i'd also love to do a Great Lakes driving tour. as much as i enjoy traveling to other countries, i feel like i've yet to really experience the US. the midwest is mostly a blank slate for me, and i've been dying to see chaco canyon in new mexico.

i hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season! i've been busy knitting, catching up on movies, and trying not to buy too much clothing. i am definitely looking forward to everyone's posts in the coming year. i've become much more mindful of design in everyday life and am so very impressed by all the talented and creative people out there.