Saying Goodbye to January + Hello February || Hey, I'm back!

January 31, 2018


Wow. I don't even know where to start.

I've been gone for what seems like forever. I meant to post right before Christmas and then right after New Years. Guess What? It didn't happen.

It's now almost February 2018, and though it seems weird, confusing, and utterly frightening to some people that a whole month has already gone by since the New Year, it feels right to me. I remember when it was January 1st, 2017, and how crazy it seemed to me at the time that another whole year was behind me. This year it felt different. It didn't feel strange to me at all, and I wholly welcomed 2018.

Even though you'll have seen so many blog posts by this time completely focused on goals and plans for this New Year, I never got around to writing anything on my blog for the New Year, much less my New Year's goals. I'm not one for New Years Resolutions anyway - I make goals for myself all year round. None of my goals have really changed, but I feel like I've added a few more to the list. One thing I still need to do is write them all down. Haha, I haven't even gotten that far and it's already February. Eep.


SO. What happened with my life.

Well, I feel like a total failure because I've completely ignored my blog life and have taken ZERO pictures over the last couple months (let's not even mention Christmas, guys). Like, none. I don't know how that happened??? I guess I got so caught up with school and semester finals that I forgot all about my hobbies. Like, my camera. Sitting on my desk. Feeling lonely. SORRY, CAMERA. Okay, maybe I got a few pictures, but currently, they're stuck on my camera and I can't upload them to my computer because my card reader broke. Somebody help. 

Besides that, the fact that I have been practically NON-EXISTENT in the internet world since the New Year is still hanging over my head. Since Christmas, actually. Here's what happened:

Twenty-Eighteen came, and I lost all motivation to actually get stuff done before school started back up. Then when school did finally start up, I got swamped with assignments. Finals came, and I did nothing but eat, sleep, and do school. Fun, right?? On top of all that, I was still trying to MAJORLY DETOX after the holidays. It took me a really long time to get back into the swing of things. By the middle of January, I finally got back into a good workout routine. December was not my month by way of health & fitness, let me tell you. O_o

So, that's what my life looked like in the beginning of January. But, I've fully recovered from the stress of finishing up my first semester of school and I'm feeling really happy about where I'm at right now.* I've got a good daily routine under my belt and I'm excited about where February 2018 takes me. 

*When I say, "where I'm at right now", I don't mean sitting in sweatpants and a t-shirt with messy hair and bare face, and utterly sore from my total body workout this morning. Obviously. 


Before I get into my February goals and plans, I'll quickly recap what happened in January.



  • lots and lots of ART happened. Through my art class, my eyes have been opened to the world of watercolor, and I'm completely IN LOVE WITH IT. Watercolors are one of my favorite art mediums, and I'm slowly learning new techniques and bettering my ability to use them. Also, I'm lovin' ATC's right now (aka Artist Trading Cards). My brother and I have been trading them back and forth, most of them watercolored.
  • also on the topic of art, in the Digital Imaging class I'm taking I'm digging deeper and deeper into the abilities of GIMP, and I'm super excited about the stuff I've learned and how I will be able to use it! I hope to soon be able to take regular images and turn them into watercolor images using a couple watercolor brushes I recently downloaded. I'm super excited about that.
  • in January, I established a better daily routine (as I mentioned before), and it includes getting in a morning sweat sesh right away @ 7:00 AM! Guys, it was so hard at first....not gonna lie. But my body has become accustomed to getting up earlier and getting active right away, so it has been much easier the last couple weeks.
  • I redid my vision board (it still had fall stuff on it - that's how far behind in life I am!), and I love how it looks. I'm hoping to work on some more bedroom decor in February, so I have lots of ideas for that. DIY's, anyone?
  • I got back into reading!! It's been such a long time since I've been in a steady reading mode, but I'm back at it. In January I read The Death Cure, The Eye of Minds, and The Rule of  Thoughts, all by James Dashner (not all in the same series, though). I also finished reading White, by Ted Dekker, along with Green, from the same series. All of these books were SUPER GOOD (I mean, The Death Cure was kinda depressing but other than that....).
  • one of the most important things that happened in January was my efforts in walking closer to God. Sadly, my prayer life became really lax toward the end of 2017. I wasn't spending time in God's Word enough and my whole spiritual life was messed up. It was brought to my attention as I did a closer examination of where I was at - where spiritually, physically, and emotionally. I wasn't happy with where I was heading. My focus wasn't completely on God. So, in the beginning of the new year, I made sure that something changed. I made sure my new routine included plenty of time spent in reading scripture and really meditating on what God wants me to do and learn. I've noticed how much happier I am when I have God on my mind and in my heart continually.

SO. What about February?

I'm really, really excited to start with a clean slate for February. I have A TON OF CONTENT IDEAS FOR THIS BLOG and I can't wait to put them into action. My love for healthy foods has spiked even more than before (is that possible?) and really want to do a post on what my weekly meals look like. Hopefully, you guys can put up with my inner foodie and enjoy reading posts about health and nutrition. Also, maybe I'll do a daily routine post soon?? I've been wanting to share what a day in my life looks like for a while now. 

As for my fitness goals, I RLY RLY RLY want to get into running more, as it gets warmer. I only ran a couple times before Christmas when it was a little warmer, but then we got a cold streak and I didn't have the right running gear for the super cold weather. But, I really like running, so as it gets warmer I want to start adding weekend runs into my workout routine. 

Since my photography life has been pretty laid back lately (or non-existent, maybe?), my goal is to spend more time using my camera. More pictures, more editing, more practice. 

Even though it was hard for me to get back to this blog, I'm glad to get this post out of the way so that I can get on to more interesting topics. My unplanned, longer-than-a-month hiatus was MUCH NEEDED, but it's good to be back!


How 'bout you? Was it rough getting back into the swing of things after the holidays? Are you working on getting into a better routine? What are your plans for February? I'd love to hear from you!

As always, stay cool,


13 comments:

  1. you sound like me! I can't believe it's almost February!!!! sometimes I feel like I just slept though January:) sitll you are must better and getting into a routine then I am.
    I am also glad to see your back to blogging, you really great at it:)

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    1. I know! I can't believe we're almost a week into January already. ^.^ I'm really excited about what the future holds, so no matter how fast or slow time may fly, I'm not gonna let it bother me. :)

      Aw, thanks!! I'm glad to be back at it again.

      ♥ Emma Joy

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  2. So glad you’re back girl! I understand why you’ve been gone though😋 And I can really relate with the struggle of getting back in the routine of Bible reading and prayer! I am also “re booting” my fitness routine and WOW it is difficult! Do you have any tips for getting back into it and not giving up?
    Can’t wait for your next post and I lovvveee your graphics!!
    Lydia

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    1. IT'S SO GOOD TO BE BACK. I can sincerely say that I missed you guys!!

      It was SO. HARD. getting back into my health and fitness routine, so I can totally relate. The most important advice I could probably give you is just KEEP AT IT. No matter how slow your progress may be, it's still progress. Don't give up. ;) And don't try to get back into it where you left off. If you do, you'll probably be more likely to give up because you'll be frustrated with how far you've fallen. Haha, I speak from experience. ^_^

      Thanks for your comment!! I love hearing from you so much. :)

      ♥ Emma Joy

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  3. Welcome back! Looking forward to more posts from you! <3

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    1. Thank you!! I hope you stick around!! :)

      ♥ Emma Joy

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  4. I'm SO GLAD that you're back!!! I cant wait to read more of your posts!!
    Oh, and since you read "The Death Cure" I just wanted to know, does Newt die? He's my favorite character and that would just be SO SAD. *sniff*

    - Maddy | littlebitofsunshineweb.blogspot.com

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    1. AHHHHH, no, I can't spoil it!!! *cries* BUT ACTUALLY I'M SORRY BC HE DOES. *screams at James Dashner* For real, though.... so sad. That book literally made me cry. I can't watch the movie.

      ♥ Emma Joy

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  5. YOU'RE BACK!!! I missed your refreshing soul terribly. But now that you're back I can smile again! :D I also adore your graphics, I really need new ones... Getting back into a schedule can be really hard, but I'm always so happy when I finally get into the swing of it. <3

    ~ Ella Marie

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    1. YEPPP, I AM. Hopefully to stay. ;)

      Oh, but you're graphics are amazing! They're super creative and pretty.

      And ditto dat. Schedules are my arch enemy that I can never seem to defeat. Lol

      Thank you for commenting, Ella!!

      ♥ Emma Joy

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  6. Glad your back! Hope you had a wonderful January and I'm looking forward to the rest of the months this year.

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  7. Glad your back on track! Looking forward for more of your updates.

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