Oh So Beautiful Paper

January is a time of natural reflection, and it seems like most of us are in the process of looking back on the past year and getting ready for the changes to come. 2012 was obviously a big year for me and my family; we found out we were expecting a baby in early 2012 and welcomed our little Sophie to the world in September. This past year was a complete whirlwind from start to finish, and while I’m not the type to set resolutions, I thought it would be good for me to talk a bit about of my goals and thoughts for the next twelve months…

Photo Credit: The Mandate Press

This is our big challenge for 2013, and I’m both excited and absolutely terrified at the same time. In early December, my husband and I found out that our current landlords are planning a complete renovation of our rented rowhouse – so we have to find a new place to live by the end of March. And while we were hoping to buy a home of our own in the near future, we also hoped to have a bit more time to save and prepare. Well, I guess there’s no time like the present! The DC real estate market is both super expensive and extremely competitive, which is the part that makes me nervous, but I’m trying to remain optimistic that we’ll find the right place in our timeframe.

This isn’t exactly about finding work/life balance, although that can be even more difficult when your work is done inside your home, but more about keeping everything in perspective. I absolutely LOVE what I do and cherish the opportunity to share beautiful paper goods with all of you every day, but I know that I can sometimes lose the big picture when I’m focusing too hard on my daily to-do list or when I fall victim to feeling like I have to constantly keep up with what everyone else is doing. This year, I’d like to do a better job of letting go of things that aren’t really that important in the long run and instead focus on what is best for me and my family, whether that’s spending more time with friends or just dedicating an entire afternoon to my daughter (away from email) without feeling guilty.

I’ve been a night owl my entire adult life, and I got into the terrible habit of doing blog work at night when I was still working in a regular office during the day for those first couple of years. So while my nighttime habits may have worked just fine when I was 25 (and pre-Sophie) it’s definitely starting to catch up with me now that I’m in my 30s. It may seem like a relatively small goal, but for me it’s going to be a major (and much-needed) overhaul – one that I think will make me much more productive and happy in the long run.

So! Those are my goals for 2013 – and now, as always, a few links for your weekend:

• Pretty dish towels that are (almost) too nice to use! (p.s. Congrats on the new design Kelly!)
• Keep up with your New Year’s Resolutions with this handy printable chart
• Help raise funds for Wish Upon a Wedding!
• This has me inspired to finally reupholster the antique sofa that I inherited from my great-grandmother

This (short) week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

• Love, love, love these adorable announcements from Brooke at Curious & Co. for her baby boy
• A final round up of 2013 calendars (see the full round up here!)
• Beautiful calligraphy and stationery from Papermade Design
• Any newly engaged readers? Here are a few cards to ask a special someone to be in your bridal party
• Whimsical hand lettered invitations for a wedding in Colorado

Top photo via The Mandate Press, all other photos by me via Instagram

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