Winter Blues/Upholstery Class

I feel like the winters months after Christmas are just the worst. Right after my birthday, which I celebrated on Jan. 8th (31!) I sort of get bummed out.  Holidays are over, birthday is over, crappy inversions make the days gross and gray, it's cold, and the next three -day weekend isn't until Presidents Day in February.  Lame.

I guess there's Valentines Day..??? Sort of a made up holiday, but maybe it's something to look forward to.  I found some Valentines crafts to attempt, so that's fun.

I'm also sort of obsessed with heavy-duty DIY in general. I want so badly to learn how to frame a basement or install my own wood flooring or tile my own bathroom. How do I learn to do these things? Will someone let me be their apprentice?

I did start taking an upholstery class. It's pretty legit.  Roly (short for Roland) is my 75 year-old tailor/shoe-maker/furniture-maker instructor. He is teaching us how to make small upholstered ottomans from scratch.  Wood frames, springs, webbing...everything.  We are using sewing machines from like, the 50's. They are rad and it's no joke. I'm really excited to learn some skills!

I eventually have BIG plans to make this ottoman. I feel like after my upholstery class, I should have the skills and ability to figure this out. I want to try tuftting it too.  We'll see how it goes. I'll be sure to document and post all about it when it happens.

  I can do it.

2015

Happy New Year!

We are 7 days into 2015.  Feels great to start a fresh new year.  2014 was really good to me and I'm really thankful for that.  I'm looking forward to the year ahead. Of course, I thought about what I wanted to accomplish and what I wanted to do this year.  Things I want to do better or differently.  Some of my goals are totally cliche and shallow. I get it.  But here they are:

Lose some pounds (obviously because I am a female human in the United States of America)

Do a strict pull-up (I've been doing CrossFit for 9 months and still can't do one. So lame.)

Buy a house

Save more money (see above)

Be a better friend (more calls, more emails, more texts, more visits.)

Be more outgoing and friendly in social situations (hi, I'm an introvert.)

Explore new hobbies (I just signed up for an upholstery class. I am so excited.)

Go to the temple at least once a month

Be more confident at work.

More personal prayers
Take more pictures (and find a system of storing them off my phone. What does everyone else use?!)

Blog more!

Speaking of pictures, here are some of our trip to California over Christmas. I think I took like, 12 pictures. But we had a great time in the city and hanging with my parents and brother in Sacramento. 

There's this weird vintage arcacde/museum down by the wharf we cruised around.

  Indiana Jones pinball.

 We stayed at The Fairmont in Nob Hill. It was dreamy!

 Hotel lobby.

 Christmas Eve breakfast.