on the horizon

my regular readers may have noticed i skipped out a little on my typical twice-a-week posting schedule last week. for one thing, i warned you i am slow to the new year. it's just hard to climb out of vacation mode, and instead of using my vacation to write and store up a bunch of blog posts, i actually took a vacation. it was wonderful. i've also been working on a lot of really fun things that i'm excited to share, but sometimes it's hard to do them AND write about them (and sleep) all at the same time. 

here's a list of 5 things i've got cooking in january:

1. ALTITUDE SUMMIT

i briefly mentioned before that i'm planning to go to the altitude summit blogging conference this month (hereafter to be referred to as "ALT"). i am really really giddy about this opportunity to network with brands, bloggers, and other creatives, and to learn as much as i can about the business side of blogging. AND, parties! this is going to be one excuse to dress fancy after another, so i've been doing waaaay too much shopping and outfit planning. you can see my alt fashion inspiration board on pinterest to see what i'm loving.

the conference will be in salt lake city for 3 days, and i'll be flying directly to san diego from there for 2 days, to speak at a church retreat. so i'm busy preparing for that part of the trip too!

2. BRANDING & LOGO

i've got branding, type, logos and sites on the brain big time. i even dreamt about fonts one night. because i needed real business cards for the alt conference (and i wasn't going to hand letter 200 of them), i turned to traci yau of 45 wall design to create some for me. after receiving an impossible-to-choose-from group of options from her, we got the cards nailed down, but we'll be continuing to work in the next couple months to refine my logo and branding. i'm excited to show you all that we've been up to (more than anything so you can feel my pain in this decision process!) and to pretty up the site a little bit.

3. STYLING & SHOOTING

i got to play stylist for a photoshoot this weekend with the wonderful ellen swalley of red sweater photography. she finally came to get real pictures of my office and some shots for an upcoming guest post that i'm beyond excited about. i'm also hoping i get a new profile picture out of the deal. it gave me a great excuse to update the inspiration board above my desk and get some trader joe's fresh flowers in there. the room smells like heaven, and the dusty blues and pinks (and lots of branding!) on the board are making it hard for me to stay productive at my desk. i just stare at it! i'm tapping my fingers waiting for the proofs from ellen and i can't wait to show you.

4. #FOUNDFORAGED ON INSTAGRAM

i haven't updated you recently about the #foundforaged hashtag challenge that i started with kyla & grace on instagram, but it is the. most. fun. ever! every saturday i've been featuring my favorite images tagged, and unbelieveably there have been over 1700 photos submitted since we started 8 weeks ago! i continue to be floored by the beautiful art & talent that's there. i'd love for you to follow along and join in. here's what i featured this week:

photo by @luminarja

photo by @yucatansea 

photo by @simplyprettylife

5. BLOG & CAREER DIRECTION

i've got a lot of irons on this fire. a couple upcoming interviews, freelance blogging, some potential interior styling clients again with laura peacock (yay!), and the ever present should-i-go-get-a-real job question. i'm evaluating the direction i want to take this blog, listening to grace bonney podcasts like nobody's business, and trying to be thoughtful about my priorities. i've started making a schedule every single day because it's been so hard to fit everything in, and i'm having to be really disciplined. that is helping a lot. i know i'll be expounding on some of these thoughts (once i figure out how to articulate them), but i am realizing that in this new year i want to do a better job of giving devoted attention to the important things outside the blog & social media. my husband, homeschooling, and bible study are all top of mind. and sleep. i didn't sleep much in 2014 and i need to do a better job of that this year. so, like i said, i'm slow to make resolutions but i am trying to lay out some specific goals for life and career, even in the midst of taking on new and exciting projects.

i am tentatively planning to post a bit less than usual this month (those golden globes tho, hold me back!), but i wanted to make sure to keep you in the loop on all i'm up to, and tell you i'm excited for things to come.

it's a little hard to start posting less, watch your stats fall off a cliff, and not think, "ah! i need to post something! anything!" but i really want to take this time to get organized and make good choices and not get immediately swept back up in blog craziness. (says the girl who is about to leave her family for 5 days on an airplane in fancy shoes, sigh!) i hope you'll stick with me as i figure it all out and as things unfold. i'm so glad you're here.