May

Top via Local Honey, Pants via Pieceology Vintage, Zara Sandals, Belt via Charm School Vintage, Ray-Ban Sunglasses

Photos by Chelsea Laine Francis

Hello there! Happy May! It's hard to believe we are getting pretty close to being half way through 2016... and what a year it's been so far. I don't have any small goals set for May and come to think of it, I didn't have any for April either. Not my standard five monthly goals I usually share on this blog anyway... But I do have a little update for y'all!
 

Back in January before my dad was hospitalized I had all of these ideas, all of these things I wanted to accomplish this year and I'm not here to tell you that all of that has changed because it hasn't. I'm still working toward a lot of the goals I've set for myself this year. There are just a lot of new, unexpected things now that have been added. I've been editing and reevaluating what's priority and what isn't because I very simply have to. I realized not too long after my dad passed that I couldn't do everything anymore. It was too much, and to be honest, I felt kind of like a failure for not being able to juggle it all. But I've slowly let that go and accepted that it's perfectly OK that I can't. Then, a few weeks ago I made a decision to take a leave of absence from my 9-5 job to focus on taking care of my dad's estate. Although it was a very tough decisions, because like I said I really wanted to be able to do it all, I'm so glad that I made it. My stress levels have gone down significantly and I feel like I can breath just a little bit better.

For the next six weeks I'll be sorting things out the best I can while I have a little extra time. I'm so grateful that I could even do this because I know a lot of people can't. I have a plan put together, which consists of things like lots of meetings, lots of long phone calls, deciding what to do with my dad's homes, traveling back and forth from Austin to New Orleans, etc, etc. But, I also want to take some time to just be and try not worry about anything at all. Watch Netflix, lay in bed, read, rest, get a massage! Although the majority of this "break" will be spent making really hard decisions and continuing to confront a lot of grief and sadness, I also hope to give myself a little extra grace. Wish me luck.

P.S. This post had nothing to do with my outfit, but it's a great example of what not to wear while riding a bicycle. Or maybe it's exactly what you should wear. I'll let you decide.

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March Small Goals: 2016

Photo by Chelsea Laine Francis

Two days after I published my February goals I got a call that my dad had been rushed to the ICU in New Orleans where he lives and I needed to get there ASAP. I booked a flight right away and was in his hospital room by late that evening. That's pretty much how my February went. It's very difficult to maintain any kind of routine when you're going back and forth from a hospital every week. My priority in February was being there for my dad so I honestly didn't go too far out of my way to stick with some of these goals I set for myself. They just didn't feel all that important, you know? I did have a lot of time to think while I was at the hospital though so I feel good about what I did and didn't accomplish anyway.

My dad was admitted to the hospital in early February when doctors found a very severe bacterial infection around his aortic heart valve. There have been dozens and dozens of complications that have come up since then and to say it's been extremely heartbreaking would be an understatement. He is doing better right now and I'm confident he'll recovery from all of this, but he has a long road ahead, so I don't really know what this month will have in store for me. With that said, I still do have some things I'd like to accomplish in March but first let's see how I did in February.

1) Set up an Etsy shop for Pieceology Vintage.
This did not happen but I still plan on doing it soon. 
2) Find a prepared meals service I like. 
I decided last month that this isn't really a priority for me anymore. I'm trying to save money right now rather than spend it and prepared meals can be pretty expensive. 
3) Drink more water! 
Yep. I bought a nalgene bottle and am pretty happy with how I've been doing so far. 
4) Get blog posts done ahead of time. 
I did pretty good but I've also decided while everything is going on with my dad, instead of trying to ramp up to three posts a week I'll stick with two unless I feel I have the time for more. 
5) Slow down. 
Honestly, I was kind of forced into doing this. There is nothing about being in a hospital all day long that is slow or relaxing but I was kind of doing the same things everyday (wake up, day job, hospital, home, sleep, repeat) and wasn't super focused on blogging and Pieceology Vintage and being in Austin and doing all the things like I normally am. So in that regard, which was my intent with this goal, I do feel like I slowed things down.

Three out of five. Like I said, my dad was my main priority so I'm happy with the fact that I still accomplished some of these goals. With March's uncertainty because of my dad's condition I'm keeping things light. Here's what I've got.

Set up an Etsy shop for Pieceology Vintage. 
I will keep this on the list. I'd like to focus on this aspect of the shop this month.

Start taking biotin again. 
I've spent the last couple years nursing my hair back to health after a six month stint of bleaching it white but I still do a lot of heat damage to it. I'd like to start taking biotin again to strengthen my locks a bit more. I'm also hoping it'll help with growth and thickness! Any tips here??

Taxes.
I'd at least like to start doing them. Now that I have PVTG things will be slightly more complex than they've been in past years. Fun.

Spring cleaning. 
I have too many things. I'd like to do a very big closet clean out in March.

As you can see I only set four goals rather than five like I normally do. I honestly didn't think much about goal setting this month. My life has been very much day by day lately. Not a lot of planning going on. Please keep my family and especially my dad in your thoughts. We'll take all the good vibes we can get!

Oh yeah, and don't forget to link up with us over on Nicole's blog with your monthly goals post.

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February Small Goals: 2016

Photo by Chelsea Laine Francis

Geez, am I glad January is over! I wanted last month to be a very productive one, and it was, but I also felt like 1) I was constantly playing catch up from my holiday break in December and 2) I definitely spread myself way too thin with a lot of different commitments I shouldn't have made, which really boils down to poor scheduling on my part which 3) Left me feeling extremely overwhelmed and stressed out. Whew! Aren't you kind of exhausted just from reading through those points?! Yeah, you and me both! Anyway, thankfully it's a new month and I'll take January as a good learning experience in my never-ending quest to better manage my time. With all that said, let's see how I did on my January goals.

1) Read a frekkin' book.
Done! I read Big Magic and I have to say I really loved it. It was an easy, relaxing read. I highly recommend it if you're in the business of wanting to live your most creative life! 
2) Become a better photographer.
Yes! I am now shooting in manual mode on my DSLR, which in the four years that I've had it, I've never been able to do before. If you're interested in learning how to better use your camera I'm sure if you google "photography classes" in your area you'll find one! I'm taking Photography 1 at The Austin School of Photography which is a six week course and I'm loving seeing my progress each week.
3) Set up an efficient system for maintaining the Pieceology Vintage site.
I spent a lot of time on this in January. I'm comfortable with the system I've decided on for now and I feel a lot less stressed about it after all the planning but I know this will be a constant work on progress and the site will continue to evolve as my business grows. 
4) Learn some sewing basics.
I've learning buttons and hems thanks to my girl Emma! Buttons were a bit challenging for me which I was kind of surprised about but I think I've got it down for the most part and I'd like to continue to learn more. I think there is a lot of value here since I run a business where I'm dealing with secondhand clothing all the time. 
5) Put together a workout schedule.
So, I did put a schedule together but I can't say I did a good job of following through with it like I thought I would. A lack of focus and some unforeseen challenges arose last month that kept me from my running. I do have to say I did go to yoga a good bit but now, to make up for the lost time, I really have to step up my running game before my 5K at the end of this month.

Five out of five. These goals were pretty ambitious so it feels really good to be able to say that I completed them all! Now, on to February!

Set up an Etsy shop for Pieceology Vintage.
This is something I've been thinking about for a while and after talking with Catelyn (check out her shop, it's amazing!) and my fellow vintage shop owner friends Moth Oddities (check out their shop, too, it's awesome!) I think it will be super beneficial for PVTG to have not only a beautiful website but also an Etsy shop. My hope is that this will be an additional channel for people to find me who otherwise might not.

Find a prepared meals service I like.
In an attempt to stick with one of my goals for this year which is to lead more healthy lifestyle I think prepared meals might help. I'm super busy these days and most nights I don't have time to cook (also, I honestly don't like cooking all that much) and lately I haven't even had much time to go to the grocery. This results in eating crap. If I can find a healthy prepared meals service that isn't extremely expensive it'll save me time and I'll be eating better food. Let me know if there's a place you recommend!

Drink more water!
I'm buying a Nalgene water bottle like tomorrow you guys! I'm so bad about drinking water. Admittedly, I don't usually drink much of anything during the day which is HORRIBLE. Now that I'm starting to run more I really need to make this a bigger priority, even though it always should be anyway.

Get blog posts done ahead of time.
Lately I've gotten in this terrible habit of working on my blog posts the night before they are going to be published. If I want to be posting more often (trying for three times per week) I need to get them all out of the way during the weekend or at the start of the week. Blog posts take up A LOT of time and I don't have the capacity anymore with everything else I have going on to spend almost every evening during the week working on them. Unless I want to stay up all night... which is not a good option.

Slow down.
Read the first paragraph of this post. I have to start being more intentional with where I am spending my time and how I am spending it. I ran myself ragged in January and I don't want that to become a pattern this year. Less random commitments, more focus time on the important stuff.

OK, that's it. Let's see if I can get five out of five again this month. I have hope! Don't forget to link up with us over on Nicole's blog with your monthly goals post, too.

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January Small Goals: 2016

Photo by Chelsea Laine Francis

Did you think I'd forget about my small goals for the month?! No way! I know it's a bit late but I'm definitely going to continue to do these. A lot of people have been asking me what my resolutions and goals for the year are and honestly I don't really do that kind of goal setting anymore. But, if I had to sum up my goals for the year they'd probably involve my theme to "flourish" which I talked about in my blog post on Monday. Things like growing my business, growing my blog and another thing I'd like to focus on this year is leading a more healthy lifestyle. Anyway, small monthly goals are way more my jam, so let's jump on in and see how I did last month!

1) Solidify two events for Pieceology Vintage in January.
Nope. I only have one coming up this month but I do have a few others in the works for the upcoming months. It's been a challenge deciding want kinds of events I'd like to participate in but, trust me, I'm working on it.
2) Make time for Christmas shopping. 
Yep. I shopped small, local AND smart! Go me! I purchased gifts from Noonday Collection, Denik, Mitscoots, The Paper + Craft Pantry and The Gypsy Fawn.
3) Open a business bank account for the shop.
Sadly, no. Of course, it's ended up being more complicated than I thought it would be. I should be able to finish filing all the necessary paperwork soon and have the account set up by the end of this month.
 4) Start running again.
Done! I've been running once a week and I plan to up that to twice a week this month. I even signed up for my 5k which will be at the end of February!
5) Think about where I want to take this blog in the new year. 
I did think about this. A LOT. I've decided to stick with the blog in 2016. It's going to start with getting back to creating an editorial calendar each month. Here are some things you can expect to see a lot more of on the blog this year: DIYs, thrifting/vintage hunting tips, collaborations with other bloggers and cool brands, and lots more outfit posts. I'm even thinking of doing a site redesign...

Three out of five. Same as last month. The holidays definitely threw me off with the ones I missed. I ended up taking a lot of time to relax during the Christmas/New Year break and honestly, I needed it. But, it's January and vacation time is over so I'm ready to dive back in! Let's see what I've decided to tackle during this first month of 2016.

Read a frekkin' book.
OK, I know I said I wasn't going to do book goals anymore but I really, really want to read a book this month. I got the hardcover of Big Magic as a Christmas gift so I'll probably go for that one. Plus, I've heard it's one of those 'can't put it down' types so I'm hopeful.

Become a better photographer.
So, I'm taking a photography class for six weeks starting next Monday, but my actual goal here is to really take what I learn from the class and use it. I plan on taking my DSLR pretty much everywhere with me in January. I hope to see at least a small improvement in my work by the end of the month.

Set up an efficient system for maintaining the Pieceology Vintage site.
 Now that the web shop is live I need to sit down and come up with a solid system for keeping it as up to date as possible. When an item sells I need to have another, photographed on a model and on it's own, already on deck to replace it. Easier said than done...

Learn some sewing basics.
Now that Pieceology Vintage is officially in business I'm learning I need a lot of skills I don't necessarily have. Photography being one of them, but also sewing! I find a lot of really great pieces with missing buttons, ripped seams, frayed hems, etc. that I don't want to pass up just because I don't know how to sew.
   
Put together a workout schedule.
Last year, although it wasn't a priority, I didn't workout much at all. This year I want to change that. I think putting together a schedule for doing my workouts on certain days may help. I've already incorporated running but I need to also add a yoga class or two into my week.

Alright, let's do this January! And don't forget to link up with us over on Nicole's blog if you want to share your monthly goals as well.

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December Small Goals: 2015

Photo by Chelsea Laine Francis

Happy Thursday! It's a new month so that means it's time for some new small goals. Let's get into it straight away and see how I did in November!

1) Do another juice cleanse.
Done! I actually forgot about this one until the week before Thanksgiving... so I did it the week before Thanksgiving which turned out great. A nice cleanse before I ate A LOT over the holiday!
2) Start reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Nope. I've only been doing my small goals posts for a couple months but I'm already making it a rule that I can't have anymore book goals. I'm just way to busy right now.
3) Plan a fun vacation for December.
Yes! I'm going to California in a few weeks to visit my friend Gina who I met while in Italy over the summer. So excited for some relaxation time on the coast. And maybe even a little thrifting... (OK, maybe a lot of thrifting!)
4) Learn Squarespace.
I'm learning! The Pieceology Vintage web site will be launching next week. It's been pretty stressful but for the most part Squarespace is really user friendly and they offer great customer support.
5) Reach out to at least one potential blog sponsor.
I haven't done this one either. Although I have been thinking a lot about what direction I want to take this blog in come the new year. Stay tuned for that!

Three out of five. Eh, not great, but the goals I didn't get accomplished I still feel like I got something out of actually writing them down. They were on my mind so that's better than nothing! And now onto December...

Solidify two events for Pieceology Vintage in January.
I would like to try to do at least two pop-up events each month for PVTG. I have a few things in mind, just need to get in touch with the people in charge!

Make time for Christmas shopping.
After my pop-up on the 13th I should have a sec to get some holiday gifts for friends and family. And speaking of holiday gifts, Chelsea put together the most wonderful holiday gifting good guide and PVTG is a part of it! It's all about shopping consciously and supporting small businesses, y'all! So good. I'm already eyeing so many things from it!

Open a business bank account for the shop.
I was putting this off but I think it needs to be done sooner rather than later. I'll be happy I did it so early on once tax time comes around!

Start running again.
So I think I'm going to be doing a 5k in February! I know it's not much but I still need to start preparing now. I'm super rusty. I haven't ran in almost two years! But in the new year I'm going to try a lot harder to commit to doing my body good.

Think about where I want to take this blog in the new year.
I mentioned this above, but I really feel like I'm starting to get a clearer picture in my mind of how I want to evolve this blog next year. There was a moment this month where I even thought about giving it up and focusing all my energy on PVTG. I'm not sure if that's the answer but I'm definitely going to spend some time this month thinking about my next steps.

Wish me luck! And don't forget to link up with us over on Nicole's blog if you want to share your monthly goals as well.

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November Small Goals: 2015

Photo by Chelsea Laine Francis

Damn, y'all. I can't believe it's already November. This year has flown by! And the beginning of a new month means it's time for a new set of small goals. But first let's see how I did with my October goals...

1) Finish reading Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari.
Nope. I really am enjoying this book but I just haven't had as much time to read as I thought I would. I still have about 100 pages left.
2) Have a thrifting day at a few Goodwills/Savers in town.
Done. I went to several shops while in Nashville and Nicole took me to a few awesome places around Austin as well. Got some great stuff.
3) Get back to practicing yoga.
 Done. I went a few times. I still want to try to go more often. This will be an ongoing goal for me.
4) Clean out my closet.
Done. I got rid of so much stuff and now I have so many more hangers to work with!
5) Schedule and go to a dentist appointment.
Done. I really didn't feel like doing this but I did it and I'm so glad I got it out of the way. No cavities either.

Four out of five. Not bad for my first go round! And now onto November...

Do another juice cleanse.
I've done a few juice cleanses in the past couple years and I actually really enjoy them. I always feel so great after I'm done. And especially after Nashville and New Orleans my body needs some serious TLC.

Start reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
After listening to The Lively Show interview with Gilbert, which you should totally go listen to if you have yet, I can't wait to start this book.

Plan a fun vacation for December.
Preferably somewhere tropical but any fun destination will do. I'm going to need a little break after a crazy November!

Learn Squarespace.
This is kind of already in process but I haven't dove in too far yet. I'm super excited to learn how this platform works.

Reach out to at least one potential blog sponsor.
Lately I feel like I've been so busy that my blog has kind of been put on the back burner which I don't like. I love this little corner of the internet I've created and I want to put more effort into it.

I'd say these are pretty attainable. I have SO MUCH going on in November so I didn't want to lay it on too thick this month. But even still, I think these are great, intentional goals for myself. Don't forget to link up with us over at Nicole's blog if you want to share your monthly goals as well!

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October Small Goals: 2015

Photo by Chelsea Laine Francis

Happy October! October is one of my favorite months so to celebrate its arrival I've decided to do my very first goals post... Or at least my first ever goals post that has some sort of structure and will become a monthly thing around here. Nicole does a small goals post each month and I always look forward to reading. Last month she encouraged her readers to link up with her and share their goals as well so I decided to give it a shot!

I have a lot planned for this month. A trip to Nashville for a wedding and also a trip to New Orleans for Voodoo Fest. And then there's that project I keep hinting at that I can't really talk about yet which has got me super busy... but more on that come November, I promise!

So, mainly because of said project, I have a bunch of very large goals for October but that's not what this post is about. It's supposed to be about small, easily attainable goals, right?! I guess it can really be whatever I want it to be so that's what I'll go with. So, without further ado, here are my October small goals.

Finish reading Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari.

I think I'm about half way through and my friends and I are having a book club meet up at the beginning of November to discuss it so I really need to get this one done anyway. With my two trips this month I think I'll have plenty time to read while I'm in route. I'm loving it so far.

Have a thrifting day at a few Goodwills/Savers in town.

I've been wanting to do this for a long time. My love for vintage clothing has been on a steady incline for pretty much my whole life so I need to get back into this habit. I used to be really into Goodwill in college but have gotten away from it in the past few years. Plus it sure wouldn't hurt to save a little more money when buying clothes! 

Get back to practicing yoga.

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I haven't gone to yoga since before I went to Europe. So if you do the math... well actually don't do the math. It's not important. I'm going at least a few times this month! 

Clean out my closet.

I have this rule where once I've run out of spare hangers, instead of just going and buying more, I like to do a closet purge. Well, I've run out of hangers. It's time. And it's about that time to make room for fun new winter clothes anyway. 

Schedule and go to a dentist appointment.

I know this is boring but I really need to do this and I keep putting it off. Mainly because I don't have a dentist in Austin yet. I always go back to Louisiana for appointments. But I've been in Austin for over three years now. I may as well get one here. This was one of the only things I didn't do that I had on a long list of "to-dos" before I left for Europe so maybe if I put it here I will actually remember and finally get it done.

Yay! I'm really looking forward to holding myself accountable for these. I got this! What are some of your small goals? And again, if you are interested in sharing your blog post head over to Nicole's blog to link up with us.

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