Tag Archives: new year

2010, Canada, choice, deep, journey, learning, lists

Goals for 2010 and Happy HAPPY New Year Meme!

11 Comments

Last year I wrote my 2009 goals list and recently updated that list to reflect upon what I did and didn’t do in 2009. I hope to continue this annual tradition and invite others to do the same.

  1. Pay for and apply to get my Canadian Passport (I haven’t been outside of Canada in 16 years)
  2. Offer art lessons online
  3. Paint a lively mural on the bland white washed wooden garage located in the backyard in the summer time and research alternative energy sources (wind turbine, solar energy) and turn lively painted garage into a year round greenhouse
  4. Build a fence and gate around the backyard
  5. Pot, haul soil and plant a vegetable, herb and edible flower garden in the backyard and mulch 100 feet by 4 feet of lilac bushes surrounding this property
  6. Colourize 10 ink drawings in Adobe Photoshop
  7. Paint one of a kind usable art objects i.e trunks, ornaments, boxes, knobs…
  8. Record two video’s per month and post them to both Youtube and this Blog
  9. Integrate Lijit Search, Discus Comments and Facebook Connect into this blog making it easier for you and me to share opinions and find the things or posts you like
  10. Upgrade Thesis theme to the latest version and learn to or pay a designer to customize it for me
  11. Barter art for clothing and other handmade goods and services
  12. Take care of student loan debt
  13. Travel somewhere alone… maybe Brazil, New York and/or Ireland
  14. Budget to hire an accountant or bookkeeper bi-monthly
  15. Do my best to have two to three rooms rented at all times
  16. Introduce 5 new (utilitarian) products with my art printed on them i.e. clothing mmmm yeah!
  17. Make a huge effort to meet people in Saint John with whom I connect with (I know you’ve got to be out there!)
  18. Do random acts of kindness both offline and online
  19. Walk away from and distance myself from those people who want to see me fail
  20. Argue honestly and express anger without feeling threatened
  21. Wait until summertime to buy rumoured 5 mega pixel iphone and/or rumoured apple tablet (to this day I have never had a cell phone and it’s just getting to the point that I need one)
  22. Listen to music that inspires
  23. Accept that Catholicism is not something I completely believe in
  24. Join the growing movement lobbying the City of Saint John to build grocery stores in densely populated areas of the city that are within walking distance
  25. And above all to learn more about you

I tag Shayla, Christopher, Lorrie, Range, Johanna, Cara, Pamela, Biffy Beans, TaraFly, Esther & Estella, Karen Faulkner, Think Bakery and Kreativlink to write your 2010 goals list and publish them to your blog. This list can be as long or as short as you want it to be. Please tag a few of your friends to do the same and link back to the person who tagged you.

Happy New Year!

2009, Canada, deep, Life, lists, love, Uncategorized

Revisiting the 2009 goals list or what I did and didn’t do this year

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On January 2nd of this year I wrote a 2009 Goals List. I am revisiting that list now seeing as 2009 is quickly coming to a close. In blockquotes is the goal and just below is the update…

1. Get my site off of WordPress.com and back to self-hosting

I accomplished this goal. I self host a wordpress blog on Media Temple.

2. Increase sales in the shop to 5-10 per day

My sales numbers remained steady at 1 – 6 sales per day throughout 2009, however the dollar value of each sale did increase. 😉

3. Fall in Love

Still searching for that ultimate love… I’ve met some wonderful men along the way but none that truly make me go wow! The year is not done yet!

4. Buy a 4-Family home in Uptown Saint John, live in one unit and rent the other three out

I purchased a 4 bedroom house in East Saint John (5 minutes driving or 25 minutes walking from Uptown Saint John) and rent out 3 of those 4 bedrooms to people. I share 2 bathrooms and a kitchen with them. My tenants have their own living room as do I.

5. Blog 7 to 15 times per month

I certainly met this goal! Yay!

6. Update Flickr 2 to 3 times per week

Well, it seems my use of flickr has evolved and I tend to update it irregularly with sometimes only one picture or with many illustrations all at once. And I’m happy with that!

7. Finish paying off massive 11 year Student loan debt – I’m so close I can taste it!

It seems there is a still a little debt remaining which I must take care of in 2010. You think you are done but you are not…

8. Introduce Flat rate shipping into the shop

I did this during the summer of 2009. You pay the shipping on the most expensive or heaviest item in your cart and each additional item thereafter only costs you a penny to ship! Go shopping now eh!

9. Introduce ready to hang Stretched Canvas prints and larger sized prints into the shop

The larger sized prints began showing up in the shop about three months ago. Canvass prints will be there hopefully in 2010!

10. Introduce new art (yes, I’ve been busy creating new pieces)

Many new artworks were introduced during the year inlcuding the The School of Fish, The Sultry Seahorse (a personal favorite!), Absynthe 99, Christopher the Fish, Set it Free, Hope (Peace Edition), Martha the Elephant, And a wave of sadness washed over me, The Indigo Urchin and Friends, Pussy Willows, Knowledge #1 and #2, Rolling Roses, A freind said these flowers look like breasts, Evolution, The three little kittens, Soft, Point, Float and Spring Magnolia’s… and many many more…

11. Get to four years sober off of GHB in August

And I did just that and grew some potatoes instead!

12. Do not develop another addiction

The addiction I battle is smoking. I did my best to quit in 2009 but to this day am still smoking. And I smoke OUTSIDE and diligently wash my hands before handling art and supplies. My house is a non-smoking household at all times!

13. Hire a housekeeper once per week once I’m in my new pad because as my art is created clean, neat and tidy and shipped out to you in the same way my housekeeping skills are not so

I am the hired housekeeper of this house.

14. Do 2 small custom design jobs per month

Yes, I did this.

15. Sell 1 large original artwork per month

Yes, I did this to.

16. Be featured in the local newspaper

I did something better by attending my first local art sale!

17. Be featured in a National women’s magazine

I have the proper contacts now and hope to fulfill this in 2010.

18. Be featured on a huge blog

My artwork was featured on numerous blogs this year, namely, Design Milk, Cuteable and OMG Posters! Thanks so much to everyone who featured my artwork this year! xo

19. After Falling in love maybe make a baby

Um, yeah… it’s looking more and more like I’ll need to go to a sperm bank. On the other hand I’m not sure I even want to see kids in the picture…

20. After massive student loan debt is paid off continue to live debt free except for paying the mortgage which will be paid off by tenants which will in turn, turn into my own financial security in 25 years when I retire

I’m working on this one people!

21. Maintain healthy weight of 130 to 135lbs

Yes, I met this goal!

22. Take a 2 week long vacation

I went away for one fabulous week in April/May with my Mom to Southern Ontario. Here are the pics! I’ve taken little weekends here and there and hope to next year get an actual Canadian passport and travel far far away!

23. OLDisNEW vintage will be getting a massive update

This is a work in progress… believe me there will be more fantastic stock in that shop this coming year! I have loads of it!

24. Earn more than poverty level income in Canada for the first time in four years

I am earning more but am also spending more because I own a house 😉

25. Most of all I will continue to strive to be happy and believe in magic

This is an ongoing process… that will continue for the rest of my life.

Anyhow, it was a great year! I’m so happy to have met you all and glad you are here and a part of my life!

xo

2009, Canada, deep, Life, lists, love

Goals for 2009 and Happy HAPPY New Year

17 Comments
  1. Get my site off of WordPress.com and back to self-hosting
  2. Increase sales in the shop to 5-10 per day
  3. Fall in Love
  4. Buy a 4-Family home in Uptown Saint John, live in one unit and rent the other three out
  5. Blog 7 to 15 times per month
  6. Update Flickr 2 to 3 times per week
  7. Finish paying off massive 11 year Student loan debt – I’m so close I can taste it!
  8. Introduce Flat rate shipping into the shop
  9. Introduce ready to hang Stretched Canvas prints and larger sized prints into the shop
  10. Introduce new art (yes, I’ve been busy creating new pieces)
  11. Get to four years sober off of GHB in August
  12. Do not develop another addiction
  13. Hire a housekeeper once per week once I’m in my new pad because as my art is created clean, neat and tidy and shipped out to you in the same way my housekeeping skills are not so
  14. Do 2 small custom design jobs per month
  15. Sell 1 large original artwork per month
  16. Be featured in the local newspaper
  17. Be featured in a National women’s magazine
  18. Be featured on a huge blog
  19. After Falling in love maybe make a baby
  20. After massive student loan debt is paid off continue to live debt free except for paying the mortgage which will be paid off by tenants which will in turn, turn into my own financial security in 25 years when I retire
  21. Maintain healthy weight of 130 to 135lbs
  22. Take a 2 week long vacation
  23. OLDisNEW vintage will be getting a massive update
  24. Earn more than poverty level income in Canada for the first time in four years
  25. Most of all I will continue to strive to be happy and believe in magic

I wish you all the best this year in 2009 and thank you for reading my blog and for the conversation during the ups and downs in 2008.

xo