resolutions new and old

first, a look at the resolutions i set for 2010...

" i want to lose weight"
ok, technically i met this one, since i lost about 5 lbs in 2010. then I hit a plateau. I did manage to go on a 3 week road trip with my mom without gaining weight (which was a nice accomplishment)... but i've since put this goal on hold, and am focusing on a different project for now.

"I want to spend more time with my favorite people"
Hillary and I talked about doing Champagne Thursdays, and my UW artist friends have been wanting to get together more often ever since we graduated in 2004. I don't think Hillary and I ever actually did a Champagne Thursday (well, maybe once)... and I did get together with my UW artist friends in November for an early Thanksgiving at my house.... overall I'm sure I could have put more effort into this one. I did quit drinking altogether in September, so the champagne would be out for now... but that doesn't mean I can't spend more time with my favorite people. lets call this one a work in progress.

"I want to do monthly movie nights"
I totally completed this one! Each night was accompanied with a food theme too. Here are the movie themes I hosted in 2010:
January: Film Noir
February: Love Movies
March: Hitchcock Movies
April: French Movies
May: Bette Davis Movies
June: Marilyn Monroe Movies
July: Kung Fu Movies
August: Bollywood Movies
September: Cult Classic Movies
October: Scary Movies
November: Screwed Up Family Movies
December: Christmas Movies

"I want to host more game nites"
totally didn't do this one! I think we had Harvey over to play Mario Party a couple of times, but I'm not sure if that counts?

"I want to pay attention and spend more time at SAM"
I wrote that I wanted to do at least 2 art walks in 2010 - I think I did one... but I did spent a lot more time at SAM. I bought a membership and have been to the last few special exhibits. I also bought series passes to their film noir series, and went to all of the films, which I suppose also counts as spending time at SAM.

"i want to do recipe surprise on Tuesdays"
This one had to do with recipes that were being published in the weekly Zine I was getting at weight watchers. I did follow through on this one for a while, until the weekly recipes quit being entrees, and started being desserts and appetizers, which I didn't feel fit very well into my regular eating plan - so rather than force it, I abandoned this one.

"I also plan to return to doing Yoga this year"
Totally did this one! I took a little break for a while in the middle of the year, but I did go to quite a few yoga classes, and am currently in the middle of a gentle yoga series. I also started doing Zumba this year!

"i want to choose one of the classics to read this year"
Done! I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood way back in January. I made a little progress on my journey through the Harry Potter series, and completed the entire Twilight Series (including the short story about Brie Tanner) over summer break. They're not classics, but they did fit in with my wanting to read more for pleasure. (the Twilight books are significantly better than the movies, i'm pleased to say).

"I want to draw and paint more!"
Done! This one was more than a success - it has blown up and flourished and grown to be an important part of my life. As part of my original goal, I wanted to attend at least 6 drawing sessions - I set the goal for one every two months. I totally blew that one out of the water by going to 13 model sessions (11 Dr Sketchy sessions w/ burlesque models, 1 session at the Little Red Art Studio w/ 2 nude models, and the annual Gage Drawing Jam w/ a wide variety of models to choose from), and a life drawing class. I also organized my studio and started painting a self portrait, completed a ceramic painting, and a drawing commission. I've also followed my curiosity about the origin of pigments on a meandering journey that has lead me to a variety of new places (both physically and artistically). To name a few, I've become a regular at a rock and gem shop where I've purchased rocks that have historically been made into pigments, I've discovered the link between pigment and dye which lead me to become a regular at a yarn and fibers shop, where I bought my first natural dye kit, several skeins of wool and alpaca natural yarn for dyeing purpose, and learned how to knit. I'm currently in the middle of a project working with madder roots to create a dye, from which I will create a pigment, which I'll use finally to make oil paint. Come spring, I'm also intending to plant some Indigo, so I can produce my own indigo dye and paint. through a friend's advice, the knitting has lead to felting, which has circled around to feed my hat fetish. I've also been brainstorming a number of ways that I can incorporate the fibers and the dyes into my painting projects.


As for 2011.... here are a few resolutions I have in mind:

1) Monthly Drawing Sessions
I've really enjoyed the monthly model sessions I've been attending, and they've become something that I look forward to doing each month. Mike has been going with me, so in addition to keeping my creative spirit well fed, it's been a nice way for us to connect and make sure we spend some time together. (maybe every couple doesn't spend time together by going to look at nearly nude models... but that's how we roll at Chez Roshak) ;)

2) Monthly Movie Nites
I've really enjoyed getting acquainted with more movies in 2010 (by conservative estimation, I think I watched at least 95 new movies at my movie nights alone in 2010. That isn't even counting the many movies I've watched outside of the movie nights). From the comments I've gotten from several friends, I think it's become something bigger than just me, too. Something that others are starting to look forward to. So who am I to disappoint? Movie night theme recommendations are quite welcome, though I have themes for January and February already. I'm doing films based on literary classics in January, focusing on books that I have read, but movies that I haven't seen. In February I want to re-visit Love movies, as I was not quite satisfied with the selection that I came up with for Feb '10's Love Movie nite.

3) An Autumn Vacation in the South
Mike and I went to Phoenix, AZ for a friend's wedding at the beginning of November this year. It was starting to get cold and dreary at home, and although the trip to Phoenix was a whirlwind of a weekend trip - it was an amazing experience to go and get some sun that time of year. It completely rejuvenated us, and we've been talking about making it an annual experience. We're open to any sun filled US destination once the weather turns cold and gross at home.

4) Read another Classic
Although I only managed to complete one classic novel in 2010, I do love reading them. To give myself a little motivation, I'm going to set the goal to read at least one more in 2010. (though more than one would be nice).

5) Finally Finish that Friggin' Harry Potter Series
I've simply been working on this one for far too long - it's time to complete this one. I'm currently halfway through book 3. Ideally, I'd like to finish the series before the final movie comes out. I've had some unanswered questions and confusion since the Half Blood Prince movie came out. I'd like them answered before I see the final movie.

6) Clean my Car More Often
I recently vacuumed out my car - and considering that I couldn't actually remember the last time I vacuumed out my car, it was way overdue. Considering the level of gross that I found in my car, it's most appropriate that I set a formal goal to do this more often, and hopefully prevent the gross from getting quite that bad again.

7) Complete my Post-Bacc Certificate & Obtain the CAPM Certification
I have one more class to complete to earn my Post-Bacc certificate in Project Management. I'm currently signed up for the course, which will start in January, meaning that I should have my certificate by mid-March. In order to complete the CAPM Certification through the Project Management Institute (PMI), I need to take a test. I've already completed the paperwork to qualify to take the exam - the next step is to pay for the exam and schedule it. I'm intending to pay for it early in the year, and would like to schedule it for May or June. Assuming I pass the first time, I could be certified by summer. In order to make that a reality, I'll need to do some research to see what is on the exam, and see if I can find some practice questions. It's kind of expensive as far as exams go, so I don't particularly want to have to re-take it.

8) Send Birthday Cards
This may be a crazy one to accomplish. I have 15 nieces and nephews alone - all but one on Mike's side of the family, and 5 of whom I've never actually met. (1 I'm meeting on Sunday for the first time. He's an infant... the other 4 I probably won't meet any time soon unless I take a vacation in Georgia to see Mike's brother and his family. I haven't met his wife yet, either!)... I did make an attempt at sending out birthday cards a couple of years ago, but it got derailed fairly quickly because of some unfortunate work-related stress. This time I think the key to success on this one is going to be better planning and preparation. If I buy cards early and organize them, it should be a simple task of getting them to the mailbox on time. (or so I hope). Want to be on my birthday list? Make sure I have your birth date and your mailing address, please. :)

9) Work Out, Etc.
For this one, I'm intending to continue both yoga and zumba, and am aiming for doing something along these lines twice a week on average. While it may be unrealistic to do twice a week every single week, it should be reasonable to aim for twice a week on most weeks. I want to open this one up to include anything physical, which could include dance or hiking, or something completely new.

10) SAM, Art, and Art Adventures
Building on what I started in 2010, I want to spend plenty of time at SAM in 2011. There are also a number of other places to see art in my area, plus all of the museums and galleries I can find and explore when we travel. Hillary mentioned setting a goal to do something art related once a month, which could also feed this resolution quite nicely. Mike also gave me a book titled The Daily Book of Art, which has a page a day providing interesting bits of information about the art world, and every 10 days there are instructions to complete an art activity. I put it on my wish list when I bought the same thing for Hillary for Christmas, so interestingly enough, the two of us could be charging through this book together. I'm starting mine on January 1st.