Blogging Resolutions 2013

I know it's the 4th January already and new years resolutions really should be from the 1st but I never usually make them so at least this year is an improvement.

This year I actually have a lot of resolutions, well really they are life goals for me, and I hope that I can acheive them, or at least partly, by the end of the year. The two classic ones are losing weight and saving money, both of which I plan to do. However I have been thinking long and hard about my blogging resolutions and what I want to do with this hobby.

So, here goes.....

To post on a regular basis
OK I am aiming for 3 times a week, which is doable. Now this one I do believe I can keep up with. Part of the problem for me is that I can't wear polish to work for part of my week, sob, so I always have a fear of running out of posts. The other main problem is getting adequate light for decent pictures. Now, I've just got a light box and lights so that should be sorted and I do have quite a few stored posts that I never managed to get around to posting, so really it shouldn't be a problem. I have spent some time over Christmas getting my pictures ready to post and into files so from now on I will do that as soon as I take them so they are ready. It should be easy......


To grow my followers
I started my blog on the 14th February, which was my 33rd birthday and the day I got engaged! At the end of 2012 I had 169 followers, which I am quite happy with. I really am doing this blog for myself more than anything else but I do get a little thrill when I see that some-one else has joined, so my aim this year is just to carry on. Ideally I'd like to end the year with another 169 followers which would make my total 338 but let's see. Slow and steady is my aim. I think that with more regular posting it will be acheivable.


To get better at nail art
Not only do I want to get better but I want to try new things. I have been building my confidence with some techniques but it's all pretty simple stuff, let's face it I'm never going to be Sarah at Chalkboard Nails, but I would like to be the best I can be. I want to master watermarbling and stamping in the main. Both of these I've had a go at with varying results, both I want to improve and this will take practice. I also want to try some new technquies such as nail foils, water decals, ruffle mani's, and splatter mani's. I am sure there are more but that's probably good to start with.


To try and give this blog a bit more of my personality
In honesty I don't really know what I mean by this but the blogs I can't wait to read blogs either have impeccible swatches or a lot of personality, clearly I'm going to have to go for the latter! I need to think a bit more about this but I suppose I'm talking about my blogging style, I need to find my blogging personality.


Consider a facebook page but to post on other mediums such as instagram and keep pintrest up to date
All of which I probably should do to promote myself but again, one to think about. I dont want it to take away from the time I do have to blog and I don't want it to be a chore so I'll consider it.


Do a tab of my stash storage and organisation and my nail care
Something I've been meaning to do for a while but something that has so far escaped me. Simple to acheive.


Reply to all comments left for me
I read every comment and consider it and it's so nice to get them, but I need to be on my laptop to reply and it makes noise which drives my husband mad! I try to limit my laptop use in the evenings when we are at home together to just doing my blog posts or prepping my photo's or updating stash and wishlists. I will reply to all comments startng now, it's a priority. This also leads me to my next point....


Get a new laptop
At the moment I use a huge beast of a thing called a Sager if you have ever heard of it. It's huge and it's heavy and not really a laptop and it's about 7 years old now and some of the letters of the keys have rubbed away, I guess I use I, O R, L, E and T a lot!. It's a desktop replacement that my Dad thought would be a good idea. Yes it probably has awesome functionality and storage but I primarily use it for work processing, pictures and the internet. It also drives my poor husband absolutely mad because it's noisy and he detests it. I have an iPhone and an iPad so really I want a Mac, but doesn't everyone?! My hubs has promise we can get a new laptop this year and I've been talking him round to an Apple. I don't know yet, Air or Pro - what do you suggest? I did tell him to use any money he would spend on my birthday toward it so if I'm a very lucky girl it might be sooner rather than later.........


Get hold of new collections such as OPI and Barry M more quickly
At the moment I don't really do a lot of swatching, mostly it's mani's I've worn but I would like to be a bit more up to date so this is a goal. However it may contradict the next goal.......


To do less buying and use more of what I have
On this very day I have 872 polishes, now that's not the problem for me but the problem is that the very vast majority are untried. I daren't even count. I know if I actually wore these that a lot of them I wouldn't need to keep so I could also reduce my stash and make some room for ones I love. I just can't get rid of polish I haven't even used, it's like not even giving it a chance. Some of my most favourite polishes ever have been ones I didn't love in the bottle and sometimes the beauty in the bottle doesn't translate to the nail.

Also, my other life goal is to pay off any debt I have this year. Buying less polish will certainly help with that. I will be able to buy without guilt, enjoy what I have and get really excited when I do get nail mail. This is going to be a hard one for me as I'm easily tempted and I worry that this will be my only chance to get my hands on something but this is one of the reasons I decided to do this post.

January has started with a no-buy so I can adjust myself, and also because I had a major panic when I realised how much I had spent at the Enchanted Polish restock on New Years day. I actually felt upset, that is not a nice feeling and I need to remember that becuase I went to bed anxious and worried and polish really isn't worth that. Even Enchanted........

And really that's it. I hope these are things I can manage. I really have enjoyed blogging over this last year and it's been fun to see how I've improved, hopefully this time next year I can look back and say the same thing.

Just to leave you with a picture, here is Miagi. Over the last month or so he has become obsessed with the bath and the taps. He literally runs and jumps in the bath waiting for me to turn the taps on everytime I go near the bathroom, it's so cute and funny! Oh and my bathroom is also something I'd like to get done this year, either that or the kitchen!

I wonder what 2013 will bring, hopefully a lot of good stuff for us all!
x