Here's to new beginnings..

Would you believe this was taken at almost 10pm at night? The moon was beautiful last night so I had SH drive me to a field so I could shoot it. It was breathtaking. Here are the pic details for you photography freaks out there: focal length- 22mm; shutter speed- 1/32; f/stop 11; ISO 1600\

2010. A new dawn. A new day. A new decade. I cannot believe that I've been at this blog for a year. Where did 2009 go? My blogiversary passed at the end of December...maybe I'll have a fun giveaway to celebrate. (If you're a vendor or home based business, contact me for details on sponsoring a giveaway!) I heard a ton of people saying how horrible 2009 was for them. These people weren't homeless or dealing with major problems like unemployment, disease, drugs. I didn't get it.

This year was wonderful for me. I had a roof, faith, food, friends, family, health. I didn't land in jail, or make any major news headlines. Southern Hubby and I went on plenty of dates, smooched some, and we brought Matty in our family. I'd say that was a pretty good year. ;) No, we didn't win the lotto, and I didn't spend 4 weeks in Aruba, but I had what really matters.

Anyway, in the spirit of new beginnings, I wanted to touch a little more on my word of the year- create. I loved everyone's words- ya'll are some creative and  inspiring gals!

:: create a hospitable and welcoming home :: I often feel that people do not think my home is 'comfortable'. I've gotten many compliments on how warm and inviting it is, but I want people to feel at ease. I want to create an atmosphere of  comfort and joy. I don't want people asking me if they can use a certain throw I have draped over my couch, or if they can use cloth napkin. I want to de-museum my house and make it so that people feel comfortable plopping down on my couch with a glass of sweet tea. But keep your feet off my coffee table. A girl has to have her limits!

:: create a deeper relationship with God :: This one is pretty constant in my life. Southern Hubby and I finally found a church we can call home. And I'm going to renew my committment to my bible studies. I had a lapse when the holidays started and I do find myself losing that connection with Him. I can't expect us to have a solid relationship if I do not pray and confide in Him. It's a simple as that.

:: create peace throughout my home :: I firmly believe that an organized home is a happy and peaceful home. I've re-designed my daily schedule sheets, and created a grocery shopping list. I'll be sharing those with ya'll in the days to come. I love it and think that it really makes me a more efficient housewife.

:: create more opportunities for adventure and fun :: I thrive on consistency and routine. I'm not big on change. But I know those kind of lifestyles can turn into major ruts. And there is a big difference between routines and ruts. In 2010, I want to create more drama in my life. No, I don't mean crazy soap opera drama, either. I want to be more spontaneous. I want to live life. I want to remember that just because I'm heading towards the big 3-0 *gulp* that doesn't mean I've got one foot in the grave.

:: create and cultivate a new friendships :: I've never been a super shy girl. I don't mind striking up conversations with anyone anywhere. (I think we keep to ourselves too much these days. There's nothing wrong with saying hello to a stranger.) But somewhere down the line, I closed myself up to any new friendships. Guess it has to do with that routine rut I created where we only hung out with the same people. We weren't trying to be snobby, we just didn't have time to cultivate new friendships. New friendships took time. And time was something we had little of. But no more. We need to create time for our friends and family, not for pursing things that only bring superficial happiness.

What does your word mean to you? What are you looking forward to in 2010?

xoxo