Year One

This post is a few days late, but as of last weekend we have officially lived in our house a year. Although I feel like progress has been really slow, it's nice to look back on here to see what we have accomplished since then. I had big dreams that we'd at least have replaced the old, brown carpet upstairs with wood floors, but between a wedding, two full-time jobs, and the pup -- it's still on the to-do list. 

Speaking of lists, here are the top five things I'd like to accomplish in the next year:

1) Upgrade the exterior of our complex including getting rid of the dry rot that plagues all the trim

2) Replace our windows with new double-pane ones

3) Replace the carpet upstairs with hardwood 

4) Install overhead lighting in both bedrooms and living room

5) Completely redo the downstairs half-bath

In my head that sounds like a completely reasonable list but it will be interesting to look back next year at this time to see what has been done. I have been really good about reigning it in lately but the fact that our neighbors just listed their unit that is the same size our as ours for $115k above what we paid last year gives me confidence that any time and money we do put into this place will be worth it in the end.

//one//

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