Quartercentury
Photo by Savannah Smith Photography - check out her new site !
So it happened! I'm officially 25 today. For some reason, I've built up this birthday in my head as the last important milestone birthday. Maybe because it's the last birthday people seem to look forward to. I'm now officially in my mid-twenties but I'm still at a safe distance from 30. Not that I have any negative feelings about getting older - this is all 12-year-old-Stevie logic about life and aging. I've only been 25 for a couple of hours, but I do feel decidedly more adult-like. To keep with the tradition I started on my 24th birthday, I've answered a series of questions today. If you're interested in reading last years answers, I'll share a link at the end of this post.
March 25, 2016
What are my defining personality traits? Creative, passionate and goal-oriented. I get obsessed with whatever it is I'm doing at the moment and try to convert everyone I know. I am an "ideas" person and I'm passionate about helping others achieve their highest potential, whether it's their home, their business or their dream life. I'm coming to terms with the fact that my brain just never shuts off and I know I need to be doing a lot creatively to be happy.
What are my favorite current design trends? Right now I'm loving modern farmhouse style architecture, calming monochromatic and neutral color schemes, cowhide rugs and warm wood tones mixed with black and white.
What would I tell my younger self? It's ok to pull back sometimes and just enjoy the things you've worked so hard for. I've always been the type of person who is constantly pushing towards the "next thing". This year I gave myself a little more grace to just focus on living my life with Anthony and Chloe. I didn't hold myself to any "editorial calendar" for this blog, I just wrote when I wanted to. I didn't pressure myself to finish decorating the house or rush through 100 home improvement projects every weekend. I took the fall semester off from the York Symphony Chorus and when given the chance, I elected to scale back my evening hours a bit at work. It's given me the space to really relax and settle into this new stage in my life. I'm feeling a lot more grounded than I was at this time last year.
What do I want to be better at? I want to be bolder in 2016. I spend so much time in my own head, overthinking and overanalyzing things. In some ways, I like this about myself but in other ways I think I lose out by not taking action sooner. This year I want to be more confident in making the moves I know I need to make in my life and career.
What's been the biggest challenge for me this year? That's a hard one! And it probably has a lot to do with the previous two questions. 2015 has been a big learning year for me. Learning how to accept myself in some ways and challenge myself in others. Overall, I really can't complain about this past year. That's not to say that life has been a cakewalk, but in the past 12 months, a lot of things we had been working for years to accomplish have fallen into place. I just feel very lucky and blessed to be here.
What things did I try for the first time this year? Homeownership! So far it's been going great. We've had our share of surprises and mini-emergencies but I walk down the stairs every morning thinking "I love our house"!
Who makes life fun for me? I have the best group of people in my life whether they live near or far. Three of my closest friends live 500, 1000 and 2500 miles away from me now but this year I've realized that I have made so many great friends here in Pennsylvania too. My two nieces and my new nephew are just rays of pure sunshine and of course, Anthony and Chloe make life so much fun.
At the Getty Museum, and no we didn't know that small child.
Meet Lindsay, my beautiful best friend of 7 years and the Ann to my Leslie.
What is my favorite memory from this year? I have two! First is spending a week in Los Angeles with my best friends from college this summer. We had the most amazing AirBnB and it was a blast getting to spend so much quality time together. I'm so grateful we were able to all make the trip! My second is getting to witness my very best friend marry to love of her life in a beautiful oceanside wedding this fall. I cried so many happy tears that weekend and I loved that we were able to stay for a few days before and after the wedding to soak up as much quality time as we could with them.
Wow! 24 was a great year! Thank you to all of you too for coming back to Stevie Storck Design Co. week after week to see what I'm up to. The wonderful people I've met because of this blog are always a highlight of my year! Thank you for all the love and support.