while i was gone

{photo credit: dr. ellis}

a few things have happened while i was on blog break.

i participated in a holiday market with my friend emily, and it was the best market i have done thus far! tons of traffic and lots of other awesome vendors. looking forward to doing a bunch of new craft markets this new year!

{photo credit: me}

watched a few packers games. i am a newly converted packers fan thanks to my handsome beau. he explains all the things to me.

{photo credit: me}

decorated a teeny tiny christmas tree with my roommate.

{photo credit: me}

spent a weekend in charlotte with my best girls. we always have fun.

{photo credit: kelsey}

spent new years evening with this guy. we went out for early dinner and drinks with my family which was super fun. then we watched the clock strike midnight on our phones and said yay and called it a night. we are not big news years people.

{photo credit: picture this photography}

my brother got married to sweet hannah. sister-in-law gained.

lots of happenings! 2015 is off to an exciting and busy start. the week of my brother's wedding was especially busy with get togethers with the family, decorating the venue, the rehearsal dinner, and last minute wedding day errands. by 7:30 the night of the wedding, i was completely exhausted.

with that said, i think i want this year to be somewhat focused on simplicity/minimizing. i mainly think of these words in relation to my belongings, but i want these words to bleed into my personal life as well. i do like having activities throughout the week, but i find that i have a more clear mind when i don't have something going on every single night.

i would like to be more aware of creating a balance between planned activities and nights of rest. and when i do have nights with no plans, i would really like to be better at time managing my hours of freedom! (is anyone else really bad at that?) and when i do have planned activities, to make the most of them. community is so very important, and i am guilty of getting so wrapped up in my little world that i can lose touch with friends on a weekly basis.

does anyone else have a main focus for this year? do you guys set resolutions or focus on one main theme? i find that focusing on a particular word really helps me accomplish my goals. it just seems to allow room for trial and error (and success).

ok. enough rambling. off i go to do some reading. (another one of my goals this year: read more!) i am currently reading building a home with my husband by rachel simons. it's about her and her husband's home renovation but also about life and relationships and memories. it's my january book, and i am more than halfway through. i better pick up the pace if i want to finish it before next week!

happy monday, loves.