Back to (almost) Normal

Oh, hello there. Long time, no post. Taxes were calling my name and they aren't keen on sharing.

I won't bore you with the details of my day to day but let's just say that I'm happy that I most likely will never have to fill out another 1040 (besides my own) as long as I live. I'm not quitting my job or anything but will mainly be focusing on Corporate tax from now on. Corp tax has a 'busy season' as well but it's less hectic than individual tax as we are working year-round to figure out taxable income. If you ever have a case of insomnia, come ask me about book-to-tax differences and I'll sure to bore you to sleep.

I ended up taking Thursday and Friday off last week for my best friend's wedding which was absolutely amazing and beautiful. I used to think that there really wasn't much difference between being engaged and married if you already share housing/finances/a dog but there is something magical about promising yourself to another person for life in front of a hundred people.

Speaking of weddings, July 19th is coming up fast. I'm definitely looking forward to it but will feel a little relieved when there isn't a list a hundred lines long of things left to do. I am trying to live more in the present but in truth I'm more looking forward to the wedding being over so Mike and I can carry-on being husband and wife.

Well now that you are updated on my life since I last posted, I'm excited to share with you some little updates we've been doing between all the craziness. It's funny that no matter how much life throws at us, we still find time to visit Home Depot (sometimes twice in one day!).

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It's That Time of Year Again

Noticed I've been a little MIA lately? You're not the only one. Creative projects are sitting half-done and the only love the house gets these days is a 15 min. pick up in the morning. Yep, it's Tax Season!

I work for a Big 4 accounting firm and in this Valley, the bulk of our business are public corporations (which means our actual busy season is July/August since the extended due date for Corps is Sept. 15th). However, all tax campus hires are required to get 600 hours in four of the seven areas of tax and since I got 450 hours in my individual tax 'bucket' last season, I wound up signing up with that group again this year. Do I love individual tax? No. Actually do I love being a tax accountant at all? Not really.

My job does have it's perks. The firm is great, I work with some really kind and brilliant people, the pay is not bad, there is a lot of swift and structured upward mobility, and I am free to do what I want as long as my charge-ability stays above a certain % and I produce work at the level one would expect from a Big 4. I have always been a nerd and there are times I get a kick out of understand a body of knowledge not many other people do, but they dryness of numbers and the tax code takes it out of me. I crave creativity but can't deny that I have a knack for what I do and the praise I get feels good.

I found this article on the blog of a graphic designer I admire and although she wrote it a few years ago, I love what she has to say. The post is "On Being You" which requires three things:

1) Find your niche
2) Do what you love. Delegate the rest.
3) Design your life.

I encourage you to click on over to her full article but these three things got me thinking. What is my niche? It would be a waste to abandon accounting completely but I want to find a way to incorporate what I've learned into something that inspires me.

I asked Mike the other day if he really likes the day-to-day details of his job and he said not really... but he believes in the Company and likes his boss/co-workers. I know the grass is not always greener on the other side, but I feel like if I worked for a company that produced a product or service I was passionate about, it might be a good middle ground.

If I could "design my life" it would include me being my own boss, working with passionate people who value creativity and beauty, and supporting entrepreneurs - especially women who take a chance on their dreams to set up their own shop.

What do you think? If you could "design your life" what would that look like?

What I Want to Work On in the New Year

I don't love the term New Year's Resolution but there are definitely things I want to accomplish and get better at this year.

01. Send Thank You Cards - Kind of a given that I will be sending a lot of thank you cards this year because of our wedding but I really want to get in the habit of showing my appreciation in a tangible way starting with the gifts Mike and I received for Christmas.

02. Remember Birthdays - I've gotten lazy on this one. FB and texting are great but for close friends and family I'd like to make an effort of sending an actual card or at least picking up the phone and calling. I know it means a lot to me when someone does this for my birthday and I'd like to do the same. The mother of my best friend growing up still calls me on or near my birthday every year which I think is amazing.... looks like I'll need to stock up on some stationary.

03. Improve my Graphic Design / Photo Editing Skills - I had no clue how much I would love creating graphics until I stumbled on PicMonkey a few months ago and now I can't stop! Graphic design and Interior decorating kind of go hand-in-hand in my brain just in different mediums. I'd love to get to know another design program at some point this year. The obvious contender is Photoshop but I know there are other (maybe better?) ones out there. Anyone have a suggestion?

04. Pass All my CPA Exams - I could write an entire essay about my experience with those tests but let's just leave it at it's probably the biggest thing I've struggled with in my adult existence. Even thinking about it makes me kind of sick to my stomach but I've got to do them. Realistically I might move on from tax and maybe even accounting at some point in my life but as long as I pass my CPA and pay off my student loan, I will be okay with that. I need to think of a strategy to get them done but seeing everyone else at work struggle through them I think the best way is just to be obsessive about it which is incredibly annoying for everyone who isn't in the process of taking them so I apologize in advance.

I've been loving reading everyone else's resolutions on their blogs - definitely post a link in the comments if you've written about yours!

Graphic by Lindsay Wilkinson for Townhome for Two

If I Could Do Anything in the World...

Interior design is one of those things I had no clue I liked until about a year and a half ago. My mom actually was going back to school to get her AA in interior design when she passed away but I had given it little thought until recently when I had my first space (our apartment) that I had free reign over. Since the space was tiny and I was in school, improvements needed to be creative and cheap but I actually had a lot of time to experiment. Although having the house torn apart was not Mike's favorite thing to come home to, he graciously gave me space to create.

I'm sad that my mom never got to experience the explosion of the blog world, pinterest, or etsy because I think she would have absolutely loved it. I know that it is an endless source of inspiration for me and where a lot of my ideas come from. The other day a friend asked what were my favorite blogs for inspiration and DIY projects. Pinterest obviously tops the list for pictures of interiors that I draw inspiration from, but I also find that things are often repetitive or not my style. So in case any of you were wondering, here it is... my top five favorite design blogs and why.

1) Apartment Therapy - This blog is a powerhouse of all things house and home. Written by many contributors yet still edited by a paid staff, this blog is meant to be read many times a day as new content gets posted hourly from about 6am-3pm PST. Some highlights include house tours of real people's (stylish) homes and the best 'before and after' peices on the web.

2) Young House Love - YHL is the first thing I read when I wake up (preferrably while still in bed). It's written by a very cute but real couple out in Virginia that took a blog similar to this one from a hobby to a full-time job for both of them in about 4 years. This blog definitely wins for the most informative DIYs and most relatable writers.

3) Little Green Notebook - by blogger Jenny Komenda is one of my favorite for design projects that are a little out of the ordinary. She definitely pushes the line and isn't afraid to try new things. She is currently fixing up a very grandma-ish home that her and her husband purchased out in Arizona and I've been continually amazed at the huge projects she's been taking on.

4) Style by Emily Henderson - Emily is probably the most 'famous' of the bunch and got her start on HGTV. She definitely has her own look which is pretty much summed up by peacock blue velvet, brass trinkets, and fiddle-leaf fig trees. An odd mix but it works everytime. If I could steal a career in decorating, hers would be it. Only reason I don't read her blog more often is it can feel a little too 'sponsored' sometimes.

5) Design*Sponge - Weird name, awesome blog. Similar to #1 in the sense that it is written by multiple contributors and can even have overlapping content but has a different feeling to it because it doesn't stick to just decor. Although it's updated with around 5 different articles everyday, I don't check it as often as I do AT but still always find something useful or beautiful when i mozy on over there.

I feel like I should make this list every year to see if my favorites change. I've always been curious what it would be like to be a professional blogger and really admire what these people have accomplished. My dream is to one day contribute to the design world instead of just watching from the sidelines but would dread leaving accounting and the security it provides. I guess we will just have to see what the future holds!