This is not a post about resolutions because I don’t do those. But, I do like to set goals for myself, generally speaking, even if I will come nowhere close to achieving said goals. I operate with a daily to-do list because I am fanatical about crossing things off the list. I LIVE for crossing things off lists (or, erasing them in our digital era). Like I did last year, I thought it would be good to set a few goals for The 256 Project for 2018. Unlike last year, where I essentially failed at everything, I plan to set very few goals for myself so that I can be less bothered by not having achieved those few things at the end of this year. Hey, I’m just being honest with myself and you.

In addition to these projects that I may never get to, I also have a few goals for the blog.

As a reminder, I had five house projects in mind to have started and finished in 2017: update the entryway/staircase, finish our master bedroom closet, turn our office into more of a library, and turn ugly – downright scary – and unused space in the cellar into a pantry and wine cellar. We started researching the master bedroom closet project (we need to hire a contractor to open up the ceiling and build a frame so we can properly hang doors) and looked into wood options to create new doors. After which we found out that we needed to get a new roof so that project got pushed to the back. All other projects I was going to attempt to do myself, but then I got lazy and, frankly, scared.

Scared. Let’s talk about that one for a second. I am a total badass, able and willing to achieve whatever I want. Except for the fact that I am a total baby, not because I’m afraid of failure (although there is a small element of that too) but because, if there is a chance that I will lose a lot of money and/or appendages and/or my life on an idea, then I wimp out and decide just lounging around is all that I need to make me happy. Case in point, I wanted to tackle a very simple DIY project so we bought a hammer drill, I watched a couple of tutorials on YouTube, read the directions, etc., and yet I still broke it on the first try. So any amount of courage I mustered up – and, trust me, my heart was pounding as I climbed the ladder to drill holes in the side of my garage, so I was definitely nervous – was shot and I have felt like a total power tool loser ever since.

But I want the real version of me to match more what the in-my-head version of me is, which means I need to woman up and tackle some DIY projects that involve more than just painting, because I rely on that trick a little too easily. Thankfully, I have a husband who believes in me enough to have gotten me a miter saw and my parents got me a three-in-one nail gun set with air compressor for Christmas. It hasn’t been above freezing in two weeks so everything is just sitting in the garage waiting to be played with for now, but, with all this money spent on my DIY dreams and access to these tools, I now can’t chicken out. I have to use them.

So, what will I be using these new power tools on? I have just two projects in mind for my to-do list this year: the entryway and the office library. I also want to finish our bedroom but I won’t be upset if the closet doesn’t get done. I also want to create a real organization and storage system in our garage that will separate Boss Bar from everything else in a more visually appealing way, but I also won’t kill myself if that doesn’t get done this year.

Here are two very short descriptions of the two projects. Not if, but WHEN, I finally get to them this year, I’ll provide more details, moodboards, etc.

1. Entryway: Add wood paneling/bead board, paint, add a shelf and potentially other décor, and a stair runner. Essentially zhush it up because, aside from the beautiful wood flooring, beautiful old baseboards and stained glass windows, it’s kind of boring. Okay, that actually makes it sound like it already is beautiful, but it’s not enough! We already got a new pendant light (bought while waiting for our plane to take off, hellloooo multi-tasking!) and hired an electrician to install it, so, if all goes according to the in-my-head version of me, then everything else will be DIY and means I can’t hide behind having to hire someone in order to do a project.
2. Office library: Find a DIY tutorial and style of shelving and desk I like to create wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor shelving for books that will connect to a desk for a proper desktop computer. I already marked off where I think the studs are (I used a stud finder but our walls are plaster and the stud finder isn’t always accurate when dealing with plaster walls) and have been looking at my really pretty orange Post-It note markers for months and months.

I hope to actually achieve these goals and will share them on The 256 Project, my Instagram and Pinterest. But wait, I’m not done yet! There are more goals for The 256 Project that I have in mind:

I spend a lot of time reading about design and designers. I hope to have a monthly column that I’m tentatively calling Designer Spotlight where I talk about a specific designer, my love for their work, and sharing with you images that convey why I admire them. In addition, I love hearing directly from designers about their projects, their inspirations, their career tracks, and how they operate their businesses, etc. If I can get any of them to talk to me – I’m a nobody, get it? – then I will share their thoughts as part of the Designer Spotlight.

Taking a journey through my Haitian roots is also part of The 256 Project as I translate my grandmother’s recipes in the Kreyol Kitchen. I think laziness took over me in 2017 so I don’t think I did much Kreyol Kitchening and I hope to pick up the slack this year.

Lastly, I LOVE designing. I have been designing spaces and clothes since I was a kid and just can’t stop. I was lucky enough last year that people actually sought me out to help them design their spaces and I have been sharing these client projects along the way on The 256 Project. I hope to do more in the realm of client projects and, if this works out, you will definitely see more of this on The 256 Project in 2018.

Is there anything you want to see me tackle for The 256 Project this year? If so, sound off in the comment section below, email me, or find me on social media. Happy 2018, everyone!